Guardians and Marauders
by QuirkySleeper
Summary: James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew may be the Marauders of Hogwarts but they aren't the only ones who know how to get around and bend the rules. This story takes place primarily in their seventh year of school as the students confront their futures and each other.
1. Where in the bloody hell have you been?

A/N:

Hullo all. A couple of housekeeping notes and then I'll leave you alone.

I don't own Harry Potter.

This is just for funsies, I did my best to keep to the timeline but there are quite possibly hiccups. It's a large universe. Stuff happens, ya know?

Anyway, in case you can't tell from the title this is a story about the Marauders and the friends who helped them along their way. It takes place in their seventh year which will be evident when you start reading but anyway, Please enjoy!

* * *

Guardians and Marauders

* * *

Chapter One:

Elise Simon strode swiftly down the platform in Kings Cross station, taking long purposeful steps and doing her best to remain unobserved by the masses of muggles milling about her. Elise's long, wavy, blond hair streamed behind her while her sharp blue eyes locked on the 9 ¾ sign. Without missing a beat or slowing down she squared her shoulders and hips and went right through the brick wall to be greeted with almost the same environment on the other side. Throngs of students bustled about, pushing their similar carts all while kissing their parents goodbye and greeting old school friends.

Elise paused a moment to take in the scene and tuck an unruly curl behind her ear. She observed a group of what had to be first years to her right, obviously intimidated and obviously a little uncertain, bickering with their parents about where they were supposed to be.

She saw a couple of thirteen year old Hufflepuff boys, one of which was sneaking a dirty magazine under his cloak while winking at his friends and slapping high fives.

And then she saw one of her best friends practically running toward her.

"Elise!" cried Kimberly Taylor. "Elise Simon, you are in so much trouble! You hardly responded to any of my owls this summer!"

Elise cringed and brought her hand up to her face to rub between her eyebrows. "I know. I'm sorry. I'm the worst. I just got caught up in some things. My mom always has a harder time with her condition in the warmer, summer months."

Kim's chocolate brown eyes softened and she placed a delicate hand on Elise's shoulder. "Oh, right. Of course. I should have known. It's no trouble. I was just giving you a hard time because… well, because I have fantastic news!" She finished with a squeal and a little hop. Kimberly's berry red mouth smiled widely and her eyes twinkled.

"Well, I would absolutely love to hear all about it while we hurry off to find a compartment." Elise stated beginning to push her trolley toward the luggage car. "Besides, with events this exciting I'm sure that we should find Lily and Dorcas first, yeah?"

* * *

"Oy! Sirius! You nearly mowed down that tiny second year back there!" James exclaimed, ruffling his jet black hair with his free hand anxiously as he and Sirius strode toward the train.

Sirius let out a bark of laughter, "And so it begins! Gonna give me a detention there, Head Boy?" Sirius teased.

James scowled a moment before chuckling too. "I was only saying! That poor girl looked like she thought she wasn't gonna survive the fall."

"Oh, she'll be fine, mate. Can I expect you to worry and follow the rules that strictly the whole year then?" Sirius accused. "Because Wormtail and I have got something mad planned for the Feast tonight."

James sighed. "I'm going to pretend I did not. just hear that, Padfoot."

Sirius laughed again and gave James a shove to the shoulder. "You sound just like Moony, Prongs. If only thirteen year old you could see you now...Speak of the Devil! Look! There's Moony!" Sirius exclaimed but both boys stopped in their tracks when they took in the scene.

"Wait a moment… who is that bird he's talking to?"

Remus Lupin was in fact talking to girl, a girl by the name of Erin Walter. Erin was known to be a very intelligent and kind sixth year Ravenclaw who had gotten "O's" on all but her Transfiguration O.W.L.s. She sported a short, brunette bob and had a knack for knowing when she was being lied to. Her hazel eyes always twinkled merrily and right now she was looking through her long, thick lashes at Remus Lupin.

"So," she was saying, holding her hands together behind her back. "I enjoyed writing you over the summer."

Remus allowed a small, shy smile to light up his face. "As did I. Did you finish reading the book I sent you?"

Erin beamed. "Of course I did! And you were right. Although the author did have some great points about the dangers of experimenting with spells and potions and a necessity to pass stricter laws, I do think that he failed to properly analyze the ramifications of entirely discouraging experimental magic."

"Right?!" exclaimed Remus. "I don't know how he expects the wizarding community to…" but he trailed off when he caught sight of his friends gawking at him. Erin followed his gaze and waved at the two boys. James and Sirius weakly waved back.

"You know, why don't we talk about this after the Feast?" Erin suggested.

As Sirius and James had now joined the pair, Sirius added, "Oh, that would be fantastic Erin. We need to steal him now but we'll be sure to return him in one piece."

Remus gave Sirius a quick side glance that was meant to read as "Shut up" and replied, "That does sound brilliant, Erin. After the Feast then?"

Erin nodded, "Later then." She smiled and left.

"Moony! Look at you! How long have you been talking to Erin, mate?" Sirius asked appreciatively. "She is…" He trailed off but raised his eyebrows and gave Remus a wink.

Remus shrugged. "We worked on a project together last school year and have been writing each other over the summer. Mostly to talk about school, actually."

Sirius whistled but Remus shook his head. "You know it's not like that. It can't be like that. I can't have that. Come on, we had better get on the train and find a compartment, I imagine that they'll be filling up soon. By the way, where is Peter?"

* * *

"It all happened while my family was taking holiday in Ireland," Kim began dreamily. "I met him while out looking for a good bookstore and he quite literally ran into me. See, he was late to meet up with some other blokes and wasn't looking where he was going. Knocked us both down. Lucky for me." Kim sighed dreamily.

Dorcas Meadowes grunted. "He sounds rather rude, this bloke, Kim."

"Oh, no!" Kimberly gushed. "He was a perfect gentleman. Offered his hand to help me up and then took me to go get a cuppa and a book. We ended up talking so long that it was dark by the time we left."

"Did he walk you home then?" Dorcas asked.

Kim nodded enthusiastically. "We shared the sweetest kiss I've ever had. He was so dashing! Sandy hair and the most gorgeous green eyes...We've been writing ever since."

"So, what's the catch?" Elise asked, surveying her friend.

"Catch?" Kim asked confused.

"What's wrong with him." Lily Evans clarified for her, crossing one leg over the other and flicking her long red hair over her shoulder.

"Well… that entirely depends on your perspective…" Kim drifted off and suddenly became preoccupied with picking at a loose thread on her seat.

"Kimberly... " Elise warned. "Out with it."

"Before we make you." Dorcas insisted but Lily smacked her arm.

"There is no need to threaten her." Lily chastised.

"Thanks Lily," Kimberly said in a sheepish voice and sighed deeply.

"He's a muggle."

* * *

Peter Pettigrew was running late for the train and was rushing as fast as he could down the platform to dispose of his luggage before the train left without him. Wheezing slightly, he searched with his rather beady eyes for the luggage drop off and nearly hurled his bag into a compartment before he was running for an open door onto the train. With difficulty, he managed to pull himself up and shut the door behind him, breathing deeply. He stood up straight and brushed off his clothes before starting to make his way down the car in search of his friends.

"Well, would ya look who it is." said a voice behind him. Peter froze.

"Why, it's Peter Pettigrew." Peter felt uncomfortable goosebumps prickle his arms while the hair on the back of his neck stood up on end.

Peter slowly turned to come face to face with two seventh years. He gulped. He recognized the two to be the Carrows, Alecto and Amycus.

"Now, what are you doing out here all by yourself, Pettigrew?" Alecto spoke smoothly with a terrifyingly sinister glint in his eye.

Peter didn't answer and instead made a move to continue down the carriage. Amycus Carrow stopped him with a strong hand on his shoulder. "You sure about that course of action?" She hissed through her teeth.

Again, Peter didn't answer and merely looked between the two of them.

"We know life's hard without your friends to back you up, huh?" Amycus purred. "We could be your friends."

"For a certain price." Alecto finished for her, coming to Peter's other side.

Peter glanced back and forth between them and took a slow step back out of their reach, followed by another and another. "I've got to go." He said unsteadily.

"You think about what we said. We'll be in touch." Alecto said, allowing Peter to hurry away down the hall. "Mind you don't breathe a word of this… encounter, Pettigrew. Or you will be sorry."

* * *

The three other girls immediately burst into giggles. "That's...that's what's wrong with him?" Elise gasped, bracing a hand on her knee. "He's a muggle?! Oh! The horror!"

"I thought she was about to tell us he was a Slytherin or something!" Dorcas laughed heartily, barely catching her breath.

Kim crossed her arms across her chest and glared. "It may not be a big deal to you lot but my parents would die if they knew!" She exclaimed.

"Oh, lovey," Lily cooed. "We just mean that if there's going to be something wrong with him, being a muggle isn't the worst thing that could happen. We are glad for you, really. Don't be so grumpy about it. Besides, as you know, Elise and Dorcas are both Half Bloods and I'm Muggleborn. We don't much care about his blood status."

Kim let a small smirk cross her face, "Fair enough. And you know, the really funny part is that he told me he doesn't believe in magic and that it's 'all a load of bollocks'." Kim finished with a fake Irish accent.

And the four girls dissolved into another fit of giggles.

"Aye, what's so funny?" James Potter asked from the doorway of their compartment.

"Oh, Kimberly is dating a muggle who doesn't believe in magic." Dorcas supplied, a smug grin on her face.

"Kimberly's dating a who now?" Sirius Black's head popped in beside his mate's, a curious expression on his face. "Ladies." He greeted with an incline of the head.

"We are not dating!" Kim defended defiantly. "We've just been writing."

"And snogging." Elise added.

"Only once!" Kim shot back.

Elise and Dorcas snorted while Lily sighed and brushed her hair back again.

"Anyway, how were your summers, then?" Lily asked, "Sirius, Remus, James…" She trailed off when she noticed the badge pinned on James Potter's chest. "You got Head Boy?" She said surprised.

"And he's already wearing his school uniform!" Sirius teased. "Prongs, Lily isn't even wearing her uniform yet."

"Well, the Prefect Meeting is in about fifteen minutes and I wanted to be prepared!" James shoved Sirius on the shoulder. "I don't know the first thing about being a responsible authority figure, I've got to at least pretend, mate!"

The group snickered at that but Lily just continued to look on curiously. "Actually, that is a great point. Would you all excuse me? I've got to go change and make my way down to the meeting." And with that Lily quickly and quietly gathered her robes and left the compartment.

James stared after her and yelled down the hall, "See you in the meeting, Evans!" James gave the girls a wink and left the compartment.

"You know," Dorcas said. "We should all get going. James is actually quite right about the time. Hmm. Never thought I would say that."

Remus and Kim muttered a response in agreement and the two girls grabbed their school robes and followed suit. The three prefects said their goodbyes and then it was just Elise and Sirius left in the compartment.

"So, are you going to invite me to sit?" Sirius asked, continuing to stand in the doorway.

"I hadn't intended to." Elise responded, pulling a book out of her bag.

Sirius took a seat across from her anyway. "So, you're the only one out of your friends who isn't a prefect. Does that make things awkward?" Sirius asked, leaning back and putting his feet up on the seat to the right of Elise.

She pushed his feet down and replied, "No. I don't care and neither do they."

"Why aren't you a prefect, anyway?" Sirius asked, putting his feet back on the seat.

Elise shoved them back down again with slightly more force and opened her book. "I break too many rules to be a suitable option, I would imagine. I get myself into too much trouble."

Sirius snorted. "Trouble? What trouble do you get into with your nose in books and your arse in class?"

Elise gave him a glare but did not respond.

"Ahhh," Sirius said. "I get it. Nice. Trouble." He winked.

"What are you on about?" Elise asked, looking up from her book.

Sirius shrugged. "Oh, nothing." He looked up innocently before fixing his eyes back on hers.

"That was not the kind of trouble I meant, Sirius."

"Right." Sirius winked again. "Course not, tart."

"I'm not a tart."

"Right, right. Of course not."

"I'm not."

"Right." He paused. "Respect."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, I have respect for a girl who can engage in those particular _activities_ and not feel like it's wrong or something to be ashamed of."

"Sirius." Elise warned. "Shut up. My personal life is none of your business."

"Course not, tart. But you did bring it up."

Elise glared, book forgotten now. "Bugger off, ya tosser. I didn't. _You_ did."

Sirius feigned offense, clutching at his chest and sliding down in his seat. "Your words cut me deep, Simon. Whaddya say. Kiss and makeup then?"

Elise groaned and rolled her eyes. "Get out, Sirius. I've had enough of you for one day."

"What are you going to do? Make me?"

Elise quickly and smoothly pulled her wand from her bag and held it a few inches from Sirius's nose. "If I must, Black."

Sirius smirked and put his hands up. "Alright, alright. I'm going. No need for wand waving but let me just say that for someone who is most decidedly not a tart, I can see an awful lot of your bra through that shirt. I never figured you for a black lace kind of girl, Simon, but it suits you."

And the next thing he knew, Sirius was tumbling onto his ass in the hallway as the compartment door slammed shut behind him. He looked up a little dazed to see someone standing in front of him.

"Oh, hullo Wormtail. Where in the bloody hell have you been?"


	2. Think you could do something for me?

A/N:

I don't own Harry Potter.

This is just for funsies, I did my best to keep to the timeline but there are quite possibly hiccups. It's a large universe. Stuff happens, ya know?

Also, for those of you who read the First Chapter, I must apologize. My formatting didn't transfer right and totally messed up some of my line breaks. I highly encourage you to give it another read. It should read better now.

Please enjoy!

* * *

Guardians and Marauders

* * *

Chapter Two:

"Tuck in!" Professor Dumbledore announced with a clap of his hands at the end of his speech. He pulled his chair in under him and enthusiastically began to tackle the food that appeared in front of him.

It was about time. Elise was starving.

"The main issue that I have with the Houses so strictly segregated is that it encourages such deep and serious rivalries between the Houses while simultaneously discouraging cooperation between differing philosophies." Elise lamented as she helped herself to a large serving of mashed potatoes.

Fellow Ravenclaw, Cynthia Clearwater, nodded her head in agreement, taking a sip of Pumpkin Juice. "It's not the best to motivate diversity but it does make Quidditch more fun. I like having a team to be loyal to and support."

Elise continued, pointedly ignoring Cynthia's comment, "Gryffindors spend all of their time with other Gryffindors. They eat, sleep, and take classes together all day and every day. They aren't allowed to eat with other students and they aren't allowed to spend time in any other House's common room. I'm just saying that It makes it incredibly difficult to make friends with people who have different personalities and opinions from your own."

"It does foster a rather closed minded attitude that doesn't allow for thought different from the status quo." Oliver Coroner, sitting across from her added.

Elise looked longingly over at Lily and Dorcas sitting at the Gryffindor table, laughing happily about... something. She shifted her gaze to the Hufflepuff table where Kim was talking some poor first year's ear off. She wished very much that she could be sitting and enjoying this meal with the three of them.

"But of course you're only saying all of this because your close friends are in different Houses than yours." Oliver observed, taking a bite of ham. "If you're lucky, like me and Jeffrey Smalls here," Oliver smacked the Ravenclaw to his left on the back unexpectedly with a grin. "it makes the House situation quite delightful. You get to spend all your time with your best friend."

Elise grumbled incoherently and took another bite of her dinner. She sighed, "I suppose you may have a point."

"Lots of people tend to date outside their Houses though, don't they?" Cynthia commented, looking at Elise.

"But not for very long. Most couples I know who stay together long term are in the same House." said Jeff, gesturing dramatically with his fork, letting bits of food fly across the table.

Elise cringed and began to wipe at the back of her hand where a small dollop of potatoes had landed with a napkin.

"You really think so? What about Susan and Alex?" Cynthia asked.

However, Elise failed to pay attention to Jeff's response because she noticed something rather odd.

Her fingers were turning blue.

She stared at the back of her hands, wiggling her fingers. While she watched, the color crept its way up her hand and spread to her forearm. "What the hell is…" but she trailed off when she looked up to find the three Ravenclaws she had been conversing with were experiencing the same phenomenon. Before her eyes their skin was turning blue and their hair a shimmering bronze. Elise looked wildly around the Great Hall to find that the rest of her fellow Ravenclaws, as well as other students at other House tables, were experiencing similar effects. The Slytherins were turning green and silver while the Hufflepuffs were turning yellow and black. When she turned to the Gryffindor table, however, she observed that they seemed to be unaffected as the table continued to enjoy their dinners.

Elise's eyes narrowed.

Those bloody idiots.

Her eyes scanned the Gryffindor table until her sights settled on the four Marauders who were sitting mere feet away from Lily and Dorcas. Sirius and Peter were snickering behind their hands, eyes lighting up with glee. James was not laughing openly but crinkles of amusement and delight surrounded his eyes and Remus looked downright disappointed as he observed the events surrounding him.

"I'm going to kill him." Elise said, her eyes locked on Sirius.

* * *

"Umm, what in Godric's name is happening to the rest of the school?" Lily asked Dorcas.

"What are you…Oh, my God would you just get a load of Elise?" Dorcas snickered.

Lily shifted her eyes to her Ravenclaw friend who was glaring daggers at the Marauders. Her hair was a bronze mess of waves and her skin practically glowed blue.

"Did you do this?!" Lily exclaimed, turning to James and trying very hard not to laugh. "You're Head Boy now, you can't do that sort of thing anymore!"

James threw his hands up in the air in surrender. "It wasn't me! I swear. I didn't even know about this!"

"It's true," Sirius defended. "our noble Head Boy here had nothing to do with the fact that… well, Simon looks like she's going to set us on fire and the rest of the school is showing more school pride than normal."

"Why is she glaring at us? She doesn't know it was us." Peter piped up.

"You really had nothing to do with this?" Lily asked James skeptically.

James shook his head and the six of them allowed their gaze to come back to Elise who was indeed looking absolutely furious. If her skin hadn't been magically dyed blue she would more likely be red in the face.

"I don't understand how she knows it was us." Sirius stated blatantly, giving her an exaggerated smile and a wink.

"Who else would it be?!" exclaimed Remus incredulously beside him.

"That is a fair point." Dorcas stated matter of factly.

"But why is she glaring at _me_! It could have just as easily been James!" Sirius whined.

"You'd be surprised what Elise knows." Lily said cryptically, returning to her meal.

Sirius scoffed. "Please, she wouldn't know what we were up to even if we committed it right under nose."

"I don't know…" sang Dorcas. "If there is anyone who can keep a secret it's Elise."

Remus nodded in agreement as he surveyed the chaos that was steadily ensuing. "Eyes like a hawk, that girl has."

* * *

"I'll be right back." Elise growled to her Ravenclaw acquaintances before getting up from her place at the table.

Despite the rules against sitting at another House's table, Elise strode confidently across the Hall to the places where the Marauder's sat. As she walked she collected her composure, throwing her now bronze locks over her shoulder and taking steady breaths.

"Evening, gentlemen." Elise said sweetly upon arrival. She placed one blue hand on the table, the other planted firmly on her hip and fixed her eyes on Sirius.

Sirius smirked. "What is it that you have done to your hair tonight, Simon. It's quite becoming."

"I would shut my mouth if I was you, Black."

"Wha..? Why would you say such a thing? I'm sure I don't know what you're on about."

"I know this was your doing. Turn us all back. Now, Black."

"Mmm, probably not though." Sirius responded, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Besides, I didn't do it."

Elise quickly glanced between the remaining three Marauders. James's expression, though amused, still reflected one of surprise. Peter had looked quite pleased with himself earlier but was now looking slightly regretful. And Remus, as per usual, was looking stern and disapproving of the blue and bronze sight before them all.

"You did too. You and Peter." Elise said calmly. "But not James…" Elise added quietly to herself, looking the Head Boy in the eyes before bringing her gaze back to Sirius Black. "Don't lie. It's written all over your face. Turn us back."

"But it was Wormtail. Not me." Sirius replied, offended. "And even if I could, your reaction is far too funny to put an end to."

Peter gaped at Sirius and stuttered, "N-no! It w-w-wasn't me! I d-d-didn't-"

"Although, I have no doubt that Black is the driving force behind this, Peter, I know full well what your gifts are and know that you contributed to the execution of this…" Her eyebrows rose and her arm gestured to the abnormally colored students around her. "...event. So, I would not lie to me just now, if you know what's good for you." Elise narrowed her eyes. "Understood?"

Peter shut his mouth and nodded vigorously.

"Oh, come on, Elise. It is a little funny…" Lily said, trying to sooth her.

Elise took a deep breath, standing up straight. "Oh, it'll be much funnier tomorrow, I imagine. Now if you'll excuse me. Dorcas, Lily. I'll see you later, I expect. Boys," she smiled lightly. "have a good day tomorrow." And with that she left.

Dorcas and Lily looked to Sirius and Peter, concern etched on their faces as the Gryffindors watched Elise go.

"What?!" yelped Peter.

"Oh, you boys are so screwed." Dorcas replied. "Let me know what happens if I miss it, Lily."

* * *

Elise was pacing back and forth in the Ravenclaw common room, steam practically gushing out of her ears. After meddling with some potions for an hour, or so, Cynthia, Oliver, and herself had figured out a way to speed up the fading process of the curse but Elise was still furious... and a little blue.

"I need to get that bugger back." Elise spat, eyeing her powder blue arm.

"That bugger?" Cynthia asked, bored.

"Sirius Black. I know it was him. Peter is too thick and Remus isn't much for pranks." Elise replied, finally allowing herself to plop down in a blue armchair in front of one of the many windows in Ravenclaw Tower. Looking out from her spot, she could clearly see the Black Lake and the tree line of the Forbidden Forest.

"And what about James Potter?" Jeffrey asked from his place on the floor, looking up from the book in his hands. "He usually seems to be in the thick of those sorts of things."

"I saw his face when it happened… he seemed too surprised. Whatever happened, he wasn't included in the planning."

"Is it really that big of a deal? It'll go away before morning which is better off than most of the students who couldn't figure out how to make it go away. They'll have to wait until it fades on it's own. Besides, it _was_ funny." Jeffery pointed out, returning to his book.

Elise huffed. "Like that's the point." She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Cynthia asked with a yawn.

Elise rubbed her temples. "I don't know yet but it's going to be good."

"You could turn his skin blue." Oliver offered.

"No, no. I can't just rip off of him… I need to be better than that. It needs to be good enough to wipe that smirk off his face and render him incapable of any smart ass response." Elise replied with a wave of her hand. "Incapable of a response…" she repeated slowly, laying her head back.

She stood up suddenly and started pacing. "Incapable of a response."

* * *

"She's pacing again. Shit, she _must_ be pissed." James said eyeing their map warily. "Sirius, I recon you had better watch your back for the next couple of days.'

Sirius laughed in response and rolled over on his bed onto his back. "I'm not scared of her."

Remus snickered. "I think you ought to be."

"Why? Because she's good with spells? She doesn't have the nerve."

"Say what you will about her, Padfoot, but there's a reason or two she wasn't selected as a prefect. You know it was her who cursed that seventh year Slytherin during our fifth year into the hospital for a week?"

Sirius rolled his eyes in response.

"Don't believe me? Why don't you go ask the girls, they're still down in the common room." Remus said taking a quick glance at the map.

"Like I could reliably believe a word they say on the subject." Sirius said. "Besides, they're friends with the enemy."

"Fine, mate. Your funeral." James said shrugging.

* * *

It was well passed midnight and Elise was still working dutifully over her cauldron. She was determined to get this potion right before morning. She stirred the concoction twice more.

"Mm, more beetle wings." She said thoughtfully to herself before adding them to the bubbling orange potion before her. The wings hissed and sizzled as they hit the surface of the potion before dissolving into the mix. It needed to continue to boil a minute or two more, but it was nearly ready. Elise smirked to herself in the dark of her room. She eyed the time but let her thoughts wander.

Idiot Black. He had no idea what was about to hit him. He and his friends thought they were the only ones who knew how to get around the school and manipulate circumstance for their own means and amusements. But they were mistaken. They had no idea how much she knew.

She peered down into her cauldron. The color and consistency was finally just right. She put out the fire and poured the completed potion into a vial. She pulled herself up from the floor, slipping the vial into a pocket in her cloak, along with her wand, and a small leather bound notebook. She eyed her roommates carefully while she snuck out of their dormitory. Keeping her footsteps quiet, she made it down the stairs and through the front door.

"It's a bit late to be out, wouldn't you say?" Said the eagle door knocker.

"I'm only going to the kitchens." Elise said over her shoulder. "I'll be back soon."

"I'll have a new riddle for you by then." The knocker replied.

"I assumed as much." Elise muttered before making her way down the stairs. The castle was pleasant at night but she wished that she was out on the grounds, enjoying the fresh air. She mentally made plans to do so next week after she caught up on sleep and became acquainted with her classes.

She crept quickly and quietly down the halls and around the corners. She kept her ears open but she heard nothing. Fortunately Filch was usually pretty loud and Mrs. Norris loved Elise enough not to tattle to her Master. Elise had almost made it to the kitchens when she heard a noise around the corner. She froze and pressed herself against the wall to avoid being seen and was listening hard.

"Prongs! You stood on my foot! Would you watch it?" A voice hissed.

"Quiet!" A different voice replied. "Can't you wait to yell at me until we are actually inside the kitchens? What if someone heard you?"

Elise snorted to herself and relaxed, stepping around the corner. "Too late." She said quitely behind them.

The two boys jumped a foot in the air. Elise walked around them, reaching up a hand toward the large painting of fruit hanging on the wall. Elise began tickling the pear in the portrait until it giggled and squirmed into the shape of a doorknob. "Excuse me, gentlemen." Elise said as she turned the knob and let herself into the kitchen.

"How did you get down here?" James said, following after her.

Elise quirked an eyebrow. "I walked."

"He means how did you get down here without getting caught." Sirius said, following the two wizards and closing the door behind him. "You have a farther walk than we do and we have perfected our methods."

Elise scoffed and sucked in her teeth, reaching for a piece of bread on the table in front of them. "I'm clever. Just because I don't have a map to tell me where people are doesn't mean I can't figure it out."

James choked on the piece of bread he had taken a bite out of and Sirius's eyes narrowed.

"How do you know about the map?" He asked stepping closer to her.

Elise tore a piece of bread from her chunk and popped it into her mouth. "Because the four of you are not as discreet as you think you are."

Sirius was about to retort when he was interrupted by a small cough coming from two feet off the floor.

"Excuse me, Masters Black and Potter and Mistress Simon. Might I help you, please?" a small voice squeaked by their knees.

"Lolly!" Elise exclaimed. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you down here in ages! I missed you!" Elise knelt down beside the house-elf, rummaging in her robes and eventually pulling the small book from the folds. "I remembered you saying you ran out of paper and brought this down for you. I tried to get it to you earlier today but the other elves said you were elsewhere."

The house-elf took the small notebook and turned it over in her hands a bright smile taking over her small face. "Thank you Mistress Simon! Lolly will cherish it always!"

Elise stood up and brushed off her robes, smiling fondly at the elf. "You're welcome."

Lolly looked up at the two speechless boys. "Would Masters Black and Potter like Feast leftovers or something else to please their appetites?"

"We'll just take some leftovers, Lolly. Whatever you can fit in here." James handed her a bag which Lolly took with a bow and scurried away, presumably to fill the bag.

The three young wizards stood in silence a moment before James spoke. "So, you know about the map." He said awkwardly, ruffling his hair. "Er, how long have you known, exactly?"

Elise sighed, of all the things she knew and this what they were concerned about? "Mmm, towards the end of last year. I saw the four of you working on it in the library. It's a rare sight to find the four of you in the library pouring over books together." She said casually.

"Fair enough." James said slowly. "So, have you told anyone?"

Elise nearly snorted. "No, Potter. I haven't told anyone anything. Nothing to worry about, Head Boy."

"Just because she hasn't doesn't mean she won't." Sirius pouted.

"Oh, unknot your wand, you big baby." Elise said to him. "I can keep a secret. Why would I tell?"

Sirius laughed loudly, making Elise cringe and knit her eyebrows.

Lolly came waddling back into the front room before he could answer, obviously weighed down with the amount of food she managed to get into the bag. She handed the bag to Sirius with a smile. "Anything else for you, Masters Potter and Black?"

The two boys thanked the house-elf and refused to take anything more from her. They turned to head out the door when Sirius paused. "We'll be paying attention to you, Simon." He tapped the map in James' hand.

Elise rolled her eyes. "The map should be the least of your worries, Black." She said menacingly.

His eyebrows rose in response. "We'll see about that."

When the door snapped shut behind them, Elise turned to Lolly and pulled the potion vial out of her robes. "Lolly, do you think you could do something for me?"


	3. Prongs, you see that?

A/N:

As always, I don't own Harry Potter.

Duh.

* * *

Elise sat quietly alone at the Ravenclaw table. She had some half eaten toast on her plate but was far more focused on sipping on the coffee in front of her. She'd slept little and had gotten up early that morning to make sure she'd be around when the Marauders came down for breakfast. Growing impatient, she drummed her fingers on the table, looking toward the Marauderless Gryffindor table.

Sighing, she opened her copy of _The Daily Prophet_ and began reading. She'd nearly finished the final articles in _Announcements_ Column when Cynthia plopped down in the seat opposite her. Elise jumped with a start and put the paper back down eyeing her fellow classmate warily before she shifted her gaze around to find the Great Hall was quite populated now. Lily and Dorcas were seated at the Gryffindor table and Kim at the Hufflepuff with some Housemates but still no Marauders.

"A little jumpy this morning, eh?" Cynthia commented, reaching for the pitcher of water between them.

"I suppose so. I'm waiting for Black and Pettigrew to come down and enjoy the surprise I've put together for them." Elise replied taking another sip of coffee, glancing at the Gryffindor table again.

"Ahh," Cynthia said knowingly. "So, that's where you were last night and why you have bags under your eyes the size of galleons."

Elise gave her a sheepish look. "You heard me leave?"

"I heard you come back. The room stank something awful. What exactly did you brew last night?"

But before Elise could answer, the Marauders came bursting into the Great Hall. Sirius and James talking loudly while Peter laughed at whatever they said. While Remus trailed quietly behind.

Cynthia rolled her eyes and picked up her own copy of _The Daily Prophet,_ taking a bite of toast.

Elise picked up her copy too but watched the Marauders over the top of it.

The four unsuspecting boys sat down and began helping themselves to food and drink. James was spreading jam on his toast while Peter began filling a bowl with cereal and Sirius was pouring himself a cup of coffee.

And Elise smirked. Too easy.

* * *

"Well, you lot are ballsy this morning." Remus commented while he buttered his toast.

Sirius scoffed indignantly, reaching for his mug of coffee. "Like she could have planned anything so soon. I don't even see her down here." He said without looking up.

"Yeah." Peter agreed next to him, scooping out a bite of cereal on his spoon. He brought the food to his mouth but the moment the boy's lips touched the spoon the bowl exploded in a cloud of glitter that covered him in purple sparkles with a soft 'poof!'

When the cloud settled Sirius pushed his plate away "So, just coffee for me this morning, I think."

The poor boy blinked heavily and shook his head, a shower of glitter falling onto the table top and into the boy's breakfast.

James, who was sitting next to him, took a hefty scoot away from him. "Heya." He nodded towards Lily who was seated a few feet down. "Budge up, wouldja? I'm attempting to avoid a bit of a mess down here."

Lily rolled her eyes but smiled and moved over for him.

"So, what do you think she's going to do to you, Sirius?" Dorcas called down the table.

Sirius shook his head with a grin. "Not a thing. There's no way I'm eating anything now." He took a loud, slurping sip of his coffee while waggling his eyebrows. He scanned the Ravenclaw table and found that he had been mistaken earlier as he spied Elise sipping her own coffee, eyes down on her paper.

"Oy, Simon!" Sirius called, standing up at his spot at the table, coffee cup in hand.

She head looked up suddenly and upon seeing who had called her, she set her paper down and scowled.

Sirius held his cup high before adding, "Nice try but you'll have to work harder than that!"

* * *

After receiving her schedule, Elise made her way out of the Hall looking to make her way outside for a bit of fresh air before the morning classes. She nearly got to the front doors when none other than Sirius Black stopped her.

"That was a good try this morning. What do you say you just give up on this clearly lost cause. You'll never get me back." He said confidently.

"Mmm and just how long ago did you drink that coffee, Black?" Elise asked him, seemingly innocently.

Sirius' eyes narrowed. "Twen-...What did you do to my coffee, Simon?"

Elise eyed her watch. "Five… four…" She counted watching the second hand go by.

"Now what is that? You just stop that…"

"Three… two…"

"What's going to happ-" and suddenly Sirius was finding out exactly what was going to happen. The muscles in his face began to twitch and his eyes widened in alarm. His lips pulled up into an impossibly huge grin as if the corners of his mouth had been tacked up with nails.

"Is that it? You bewitched a smile on my face?" Sirius laughed. "If that's not the most genius thing…" He stopped. His eyebrows knit together in confusion but the smile remained intact. "I meant 'genius'. No, 'genius'." His gaze lifted to the smirk growing on Elise's face. "If you aren't the nicest girl!" He growled, followed by a scream of annoyance. "I cherish you, Simon!" Sirius yelled with that huge grin plastered on his face.

"Well, what has gotten into you!" Elise cried. "Woke up on the right side of the bed this morning, did we?"

Sirius's eyes narrowed in a glare while the smile remained steady.

Elise chuckled at the interesting facial expression Sirius donned before adding. "Don't worry too much. It'll wear off by dinner and then you can scowl and go back to your normal crabby self."

"Elise!" Lily called from down the hallway as she spotted the blond. "Did you get your schedule yet?"

Elise waited for her to make her way over before responding. "I did. I've got Charms first at ten o'clock. What do you have?"

Lily frowned and handed Elise her schedule. "I've got Arithmancy at ten. Hi, Sirius. Why are you smiling like that? I'm not sure I've ever seen you grin so big. It's kind of creepy."

Sirius glared through his grin as Elise snickered.

"Simon is a talented and beautiful witch." Sirius grit through his enchanted grin.

Elise blew a kiss at him. "But we've got Potions together at two, right?" She asked, turning to face her redheaded friend.

Lily nodded slowly but looked between the two of them. "Yeah, we do… Now, I'm not sure what's happening here but I think I'll see you guys later…" Lily drifted off and slowly walked away, looking back over her shoulder at them.

Elise watched her go before turning back to Sirius. "Well," She chirped. "I'm off for a walk. See you later, Black. Enjoy your day!"

* * *

"Padfoot, what in the hell is the matter with you?" James asked dropping his bag beside his desk as he sat down. "That's a bloody terrifying grin, mate."

"Simon put something in my coffee this morning, the goddess." He replied grimly.

"She's a goddess now, eh? Did you two snog or something?"

Sirius glared.

"Shag?!" James exclaimed, his mouth dropping open.

"I can't stop smiling and it turns out I can't saying anything rude."

"Oooh," James whistled. "So, when you called her a goddess… you meant… bitch?"

Sirius nodded, smiling widly.

"I told you so, mate."

"Told him what?" Dorcas asked taking a seat behind the two of them, Lily close behind.

"Oh, we told him to take Elise's threats of revenge seriously and he didn't listen and now," he gestured to Sirius. "Padfoot's got one hell of a day ahead of him."

"Ohhhh," Lily sighed. "That makes much more sense then. Is that why you were acting so peculiar this morning with Elise outside the Great Hall?"

Sirius nodded, aggressively pulling parchment, quill, and an ink bottle from his bag.

"So, what is the trouble exactly? That smile, obviously, but that hardly seems like the extent of something Elise would put together." Dorcas supplied, pulling her own class materials from her bag.

"Oh, that's the great part." James snickered. "He can't say anything rude to anyone. It comes out as a compliment or just the polite version instead."

Dorcas and Lily shared a glance. "Wow. That's pretty impressive actually. She must have made that up on her own. I'll have to talk to her later about how she concocted that in such a short period of time." Dorcas said.

"Oh, I know. I wonder if it's some sort of _bellus_ potion." Lily replied. "Maybe combined with some _risum_ charm work?" She hypothesized.

"Like it matters how she so positively influenced my day…" Sirius muttered as the Arithmancy professor glided in through the door.

"Good morning, class!" Professor Wexley said, placing her belongings on the lectern at the front of the room.

"Good morning, Professor Wexley." The room responded dully.

Professor Wexley smoothed her jet black hair and surveyed her class, visibly cringing upon seeing Sirius's smile.

"Erm, today we will be discussing our plans for the class, as well as going over the basic principles that you should already know. But first I'm going to be handing out a short quiz so that I can know how much you all retained over the summer."

The class audibly groaned and Professor Wexley was quick to respond, "Don't be too upset. Feel free to work on this assignment with the people around you. I'll give you twenty minutes and then we shall go over it together."

James handed back a short stack of quizzes to Lily and offered her a loose but bright smile before turning back around. In spite of herself, she felt herself smile too.

She handed the stack on after taking one for herself and began to look it over nodding to herself as she went. She was quite familiar with most of it, until she got to question number twelve. "Dorcas," she said, tapping her friend on the shoulder. "For the life of me I cannot remember the significance of numbers that run in numerical order like that. Do you have any ideas?"

"Actually, I was just about to ask you about that. Did you bring your book?" Dorcas replied.

"It usually signifies order and the presence of an anticipated pattern." James stated, turning in his seat to look at the two girls.

"Right!" Lily exclaimed, quickly making a note on her quiz. "Thanks, Potter." Lily said, with a light smile pulling at her lips.

"No, problem, Evans. Got any ideas about question five?"

* * *

"So, how did you do it?" Lily asked Elise for the third time that class.

"I told you, Lily. I don't quite remember…" Elise trailed off, looking at Slughorn's instructions for _Amortentia_ that were written out on the board. "This looks right doesn't it?"

Lily barely glanced at her friends potion. "Of course it does, you're brilliant. How about mine?"

The blond peered into her friend's cauldron to be met with the same potion as her own. "Looks perfect."

"Indeed, they both look flawless. Well done, ladies." Slughorn stated proudly behind them. "I look forward to seeing the finished products."

Lily waited for Slughorn to move on before saying, "I'm not going to give you detention… I just want to know how you did it!"

Elise sighed. "I combined the _Occid Beneficium_ Draught with the _Bellus_ Elixir and then charmed the whole potion with a _risum_ jinx."

Lily nodded knowingly. "Clever."

"So, you have any plans for tonight?" Elise asked casually. "I was thinking about having a bit of a jog around the Quidditch Pitch tonight but wondered if you would want to work on homework first, maybe with Kim? I haven't seen that girl since breakfast and you know that doesn't count."

"Mmm, I had been planning on trying to figure out how to get my record player to work so I could listen to my Eagles album but sure, I could stand to get a head start on my homework. Were you planning on a jog or, you know, a 'jog'?" Lily asked, not looking up from her potion.

"Rowena and Helen, Lily. Why do you have to say it like that?"

"Because it's against the rules and you know it. Even if you are registered, no one is supposed to be out at night." Lily replied. "I don't like knowing when you do it."

Elise looked up from her work. "I won't go tonight if you don't want me to. We'll just work. I won't fly."

Lily sighed while she stirred her potion. "No, no. I know it means alot to you, to have that time for yourself. You'll want to study in the Gryffindor Dormitory, I expect?"

Elise grinned. "Yes, please. I love you, Lilykins!"

* * *

"Bloody Godric!" Sirius moaned as he massaged his face. He had finally stopped smiling. He sank into the couch in front of the fire and closed his eyes.

"Come now. You can at least appreciate the magic behind it, right, Padfoot?" Remus asked, taking a seat beside him.

Sirius grumbled a reply. "Doesn't make my face hurt any less or reduce the number considerate things I said today."

Remus sighed and checked his watch. "Well, anyway, I think I'm going to go head out now. I've only got three more hours before.. well,"

"Yes, yes, Moony we know what before." James told him. "Run along now and get settled. We'll probably make our own ways down at the usual time."

Remus nodded, stood and stretched as he walked through the portrait hole.

"Poor bloke." Peter supplied sympathetically.

"Good Lord, Wormtail. You are still absolutely covered in glitter." James remarked impressed.

"I know," Peter replied sadly. "she enchanted it so I can't summon it off of me. It just causes it to replicate itself whenever I try."

James let out a loud laugh. "That's brilliant, really. She got the both of you good, admit it." He demanded.

"Mmm, I suppose it was bloody brilliant, eh?" Sirius grudgingly admitted with a genuine smirk creeping on his face. "The tosser." He added as an afterthought, propping his feet up on the table in front of him.

* * *

"I just don't understand why you don't like him, Lily." Elise was saying, laying on her back on Dorcas's bed. "He's grown up a lot this year! I mean, he made Head Boy for crying out loud. Not to mention he's positively dishy."

Lily was running her wand along the perimeter of the player as she responded, "He's only acting this way now because of how mad I got about him acting the fool that one day down by the lake."

Dorcas shook her head and kicked off her shoes. "I don't think so, Lily. I think he's maturing and that whole incident with Severus was over a year ago! It's obvious that you're warming up to him. Anyway… Why don't you ask him to Hogsmeade next month?"

"Don't be silly. I don't fancy James Potter." Lily replied indignantly. "And even if I did I would not allow myself to be fooled by this act of his."

"Even after he helped us in Arithmancy today?" Dorcas asked.

"He what!?" cried Kim suddenly, looking up from the gossip rag magazine she had been perusing.

"Oh, Dorcas is making it out to be a bigger deal than it was. Potter knew the answer to a question that we didn't. That's all." Lily said shortly, tucking her hair behind her ears as she looked the player over.

"Hmmm, that doesn't sound like all." Elise said trailing off.

"What about you and Sirius?" accused Lily. "You obviously put way more effort into your payback against Black than Peter."

Elise shrugged. "Yes? So? He played a bigger role in turning my skin blue, might I remind you. It warranted something more severe than glitter."

"Uh huh. Sure. You just wait. The two of you will get together at least once this year." Lily said confidently. "I bet you."

"Hmm. Interesting." Kim said, rolling over on to her stomach, the magazine long forgotten. "Dorcas, who do you think will get together first? Sirius and Elise or Lily and James?"

"Lily and James." Elise and Dorcas said together as Lily scowled.

"Sirius and Elise will end up bonking before Lily and James are serious." Kim said.

"Kim!" Lily exclaimed while Elise glared and Dorcas laughed.

* * *

"Alright," Sirius said. "It's time to go. Moony will be up in fifteen minutes and you know how he gets when we are late."

The other two boys agreed and gathered their things. With map, wands, and cloak in tow, the three of them headed out of the empty common room. They quietly made their way down the hall, Sirius keeping a careful eye on the map to ensure that they didn't run across anyone they hadn't the intention of meeting.

It was a quiet night and the three Marauders ran into no one, easily making their way out onto the grounds in a timely fashion. The sky was cloudy, with no stars or moon visible.

A good sign.

They made their way over to the Whomping Willow where they pulled off the cloak.

James stepped aside. "Alright, Wormy. You're up."

"You know I don't like it when you call me that." The poor boy grumbled but made his transformation anyway. His body shrinking and shrinking until his rat form emerged from his pile of clothes and scampered off toward the base of the tree.

"You next, Padfoot." James instructed but Sirius was not paying attention.

As the tree froze, a hawk landed on one of the branches and appeared to be looking down at them. It's head quirking to one side almost quizzically.

"Prongs, you see that?" Sirius asked.

James looked up. "He must live somewhere in the woods or near the castle."

"Must." Agreed Sirius. "We see him almost every month we're out here."

As the boys shrugged and looked at each other the hawk gave out a shrill screech before taking off into the night.

* * *

A/N: Part two!

So, a British friend of mine told me recently that in the UK people only say "Excuse me" or "Pardon me" when they fart or burp and I was wondering if any of my UK readers would able to tell me if that's true or not? In the US we say that for everything... you bump into someone you say excuse me. You can't hear someone and you say excuse me and ask them to repeat themselves.

Lemme know what you think!

And thanks for reading!


	4. Do you hear yourself, mate?

A/N:

As always I don't own Harry Potter or any of the franchise. This is just for fun.

Please enjoy.

* * *

"Elise!" Kim squealed happily, making her way through the classroom to her Ravenclaw friend. "I was worried I wouldn't know anyone in this class." Kim took a seat besides Elise, pulling out supplies from her bag.

Elise smiled warmly at her, equally glad to have a friendly face beside her. "So, how have you been Kimmy? I feel like I haven't seen you in ages."

Of course it hadn't been ages, only yesterday, but when you see everyone in your house all day, everyday you tend to miss your out of House friends terribly.

"Oh, I've been well enough. I got a letter this morning." Kim replied grinning.

"Good morning, class." Professor Binns droned, floating through the chalkboard. "I hope you all had good summers. Today we are going to start constructing timelines for the events in England in order to compare with those of America. So, I'm going to need you all…"

Kim groaned audibly but she was not alone. The entire class seemed to slump down in their chairs with glazed eyes at the same time. However, this did nothing to slow Professor Binns.

"... to split into pairs to work on this assignment. I will be drifting around to help fill any gaps you have and then at the end of class we will discuss it together and assign the homework."

The room groaned again but chairs scraped on the floor and the chatter turned to neighboring students who were getting started. Naturally, Kim and Elise remained in their seats and merely turned to face one another.

"So, where do you think we should start this timeline? Do you think we should start within America's timeline or-"

"So, how's Sirius?" Kim asked slyly, interrupting her blond, wavy haired friend across from her.

Elise had been scribbling some notes down on parchment and stopped. "Um, I don't know. Should I?" She resumed her scribbling, seeing that Kim was not going to help her narrow down her time frame.

"He looked quite dashing this morning, don't you think?"

"Where are you going with this, Kimberly?" Elise asked without looking up.

"Oh, no where. I just think the two of you would be… you know… cute together."

Elise rolled her eyes but pulled her History of Magic textbook toward her, opening it to the index. "You're mad."

"I am not! Dorcas and Lily agree with me!" Kim replied.

Elise stopped and raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, maybe not Dorcas, although she does think the two of you enjoy each other's company."

"No, no Ms. Simon! Try to work without your book for now. Today's work will not be graded." Professor Binns said suddenly behind the two girls. "I just want to see you all try to work from memory. Dust off your brains."

Kim jumped and pretended to be working over a blank piece of parchment while Elise closed the book and sighed. "Sorry, Professor Binns."

"Don't worry about it dear. It's no trouble."

Kim waited for him to float away before saying, "Anyway, I think you should think about it. Maybe try taking a walk together or something."

"Kim. I'm not asking Sirius to take a walk with me. Anyway, can we get back to work? I actually enjoy this class despite" she lowered her voice, eyed their transparent professor who was across the room, scolding another student for referencing their textbook, "the dull instruction."

Kim waved her hand. "Fine. So, want to hear about the letter I got?"

Knowing that was the best she was going to get from her, Elise nodded but continued working on the assignment.

* * *

"Bye, Kim!" Elise said as the two girls parted ways to their House tables for lunch. Elise continued alone to her usual place at the Ravenclaw table. She took a seat, poured herself some juice and helped herself to the food in front of her when an unusual presence sat down across from her.

"Erin." Elise said surprised. "How have you been?"

The girl brushed some hair out of her eyes and licked her lips nervously. "Oh, fine, fine. I was actually wondering if I could chat with you a minute. Maybe have lunch together while we discuss something?"

Elise nodded. "Sure, of course. What can I help you with?"

Erin took an apple from the basket in front of her and took a bite out of it. Chewing slowly and carefully, she grabbed a couple of other food items and swallowed before answering. "So, the first is a little embarrassing. I was wondering if you would be willing to help me with my Transfiguration class work? I managed to do alright on the O.W.L. but not as well as I'd hoped for and then we had class this morning and even the review seemed to go over my head. I asked around and everyone said you were brilliant. So, do you think you could help me?"

Elise took a sip of juice while the girl talked and when she finished she said, "Of course, Erin. I'd be happy to help you. What days do you have Transfiguration?"

Erin noticeably relaxed. "Tuesday, Thursdays."

"Okay, great. Why don't we set up times on your off days and we'll work on getting you more comfortable with the material. How does that sound?"

Erin allowed a small smile to grace her lips. "That would be great. Thank you so much. Really, Elise. You have no idea how much I appreciate the help."

Elise nodded. She took a bite of her lunch and looked back at Erin. "So, what else did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well, um, you're friends with Remus, right?"

Elise nodded.

"Do you know where he is? I've been looking for him all day and can't seem to find him. We chatted last night and he seemed a little off but.." She drifted off, her eyebrows knit together, concern etched on her delicate face.

Elise froze but allowed her eyes to slide up to the girl's face. She looked worried but not scared, innocent but anxious. They were good signs. "I heard he got sick last night." Elise said carefully, resuming her lunch.

"But he isn't in the hospital wing. I looked, just now before lunch."

Elise shrugged but kept a wary eye on Erin. "Maybe they let him go to his own bed."

Erin nodded, thoughtfully. "I suppose you must be right."

"He'll be fine, Erin." Elise said. "He'll likely be back tomorrow."

"Of course." Erin agreed and silence fell between the two girls.

Until an owl swooped between them and dropped a letter on Elise's lunch plate.

"Hm." Elise pondered picking up the letter and staring after the owl that was on its way back out of the Hall. "It's a bit late for post." She looked back to the letter. It was simply addressed to her with no return address. Elise eyed it skeptically and pulled her wand from her robes. She looked around the Great Hall and when she was met with no amused looking Marauder or sinister looking Slytherin she swept her wand across the top of it.

"Hm." She said again, putting her wand away and opening the letter.

* * *

Elise stalked into the Transfiguration room and took a seat besides her two Gryffindor friends who had already arrived.

"Look. At. This." Elise grit through her teeth before handing a piece of parchment to Lily.

 _Ms. Simon,_

 _Due to your reported misuse of magic in a vengeful manner against Misters Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black on the morning of September the 1st, you have been assigned to complete two detentions. The first is to be served in the Trophy Room at 7:30 PM this evening (September the 2nd) and the second is to be served tomorrow with Professor Slughorn at 8:00 PM (September the 3rd)._

 _Please be sure to show up for your scheduled detentions on time and prepared to fulfill your punishment._

 _James Potter_

 _Head Boy_

"Well," said Lily "you did do that. Besides, the boys got two weeks of detentions for their stunt. Count yourself lucky."

Dorcas, who had been reading the letter over Lily's shoulder, added, "Maybe you'll get to serve detention with Black, Elise." Dorcas winked and laughed.

Elise scowled at Dorcas before returning her gaze to Lily. "I suppose I do deserve it but for a former troublemaker he sure stuck me to the rule book good."

Almost as if answering to his name James entered the classroom with Peter and Sirius in tow behind him. They filed into seats behind the girls. "Good afternoon, Ladies." James acknowledged. "Lily." He nodded and she quite noticeably blushed before turning back around in her seat.

Dorcas and Elise gave each other a look and a smirk before Elise turned to James.

"You." she said with a slightly menacing tone.

"Erm, yes?" James said, looking a little worried.

Elise plucked the letter from Lily's fingers before waving it under the boy's nose. "What the hell is this?"

"That looks like a piece of parchment to me." James said, grinning uneasily.

Elise gently tapped his forehead with it. "You're giving me detention?"

"Ahhh. That. Yes. Yes, I am."

Sirius broke down in a fit of laughter beside his best mate and snatched the letter from Elise's hand. He began reading and continues to laugh. "Well, I'll be damned, Simon. We have detention with Slughorn together tomorrow night."

Elise takes the letter back and scowls. "Did you do that?" She asked James accusingly.

The Head Boy threw his hands in the air in surrender. "No! I did not!" He defended. He let his arms fall back down to his sides with a grin and Elise glared. "Okay, yes I did. I did that."

"James!" Lily exclaimed. "Why would you do that? You know it's against policy."

"Well, Dumbledore seemed to think it was a good idea, anyway. Give them a chance to work out their issues." James defended.

"That's actually a good idea." Lily agreed, looking to Dorcas and Elise shrugging.

"You lot won't be saying that when Black leaves detention tomorrow night." Elise muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Please. What are you going to do, Simon." Sirius asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Bewitch another smile on my face?"

"Even after yesterday, you're still doubting me?" Elise asked, hotly.

"Nah, I'm just trying to make you mad." Sirius said with a grin, flicking his bangs out of his eyes.

Elise tilted her head to the side with a glare. "Don't test me, Black." She said calmly before turning to the front of the room as the professor strode into the room.

* * *

Elise sat in her last class of the day alone. Of course, there were other students but none of which she had any interest in talking to. Ancient Runes was usually the class she had with Remus Lupin. The others had dropped it long ago but Remus and Elise still enjoyed it and took it together every year.

As she scribbled down notes she tried extra to make sure they were thorough. She wanted to make sure that Remus would have adequate notes from the first lesson of the year. She glanced over to the empty seat to her right and sighed. Of course he would be back for the next class but even still. She missed him when he was gone. She knew why he couldn't be here. He had a perfectly reasonable reason for being absent. Not that he knew that she knew that he transformed into a wolf every month but.. he probably suspected. They'd never talked about it and he had never outright told her but Elise and Remus had been friendly for a long while now, sharing their interest in learning that most of their friends neglected or were passionless towards. She understood what he went through and just wanted him to be safe, happy, and comfortable.

* * *

Elise was standing outside the Trophy Room promptly at 7:30 PM. She had eaten a quick, quiet, and light dinner as she had chosen not to discuss her impending detention with her fellow Ravenclaws. She never really told anyone when she had detention. Other people didn't need to know her business.

She paced up and down the hallway, checking her watch periodically until Mr. Argus Filch began making his way toward her. She internally groaned having been hoping she would not be serving her time with him. He was still a reasonably new addition to the Hogwarts staff but he had made his impression heavily on the students with his love of inflicting punishment.

"Ahh, Ms. Simon. Glad to see one of you could make it here on time." Filch rasped.

"Uh, one of us?" Elise responded surprised.

"Sirius Black is supposed to be sharing this detention with you. Professor Dumbledore requested the two of you serve your detention together to settle your differences but he is late." Filch said.

Elise sighed grumpily. Two? They were going to have to face two detentions together? And of course he had neglected to tell her.

What a git.

Filch gestured to the Trophy Room and Elise entered. Thankfully it wasn't a terribly large room. Big enough to make cleaning it unpleasant but not so big as to make it horrific. Although, the presence of Sirius Black may serve that particular purpose.

"Cleaning materials are there," he pointed to the center of the room where a few bottles of polish and some old, stained rags sat. "and you may not use magic. Get started while we wait for Mr. Black."

Elise looked warily at the rags and slowly made her way toward them. She picked one up and grabbed a bottle of polish in the other. The rag was absolutely filthy, how she was supposed to clean anything with it she didn't know.

"Go, on." Filch urged from the doorway. She made a face at the wall so Filch wouldn't see her but she approached the closest cabinet anyway.

She carried on polishing the brass awards in the showcase for awhile before Filch spoke behind her.

"Ahh, Mr. Black. How kind of you to join us," Filch paused to check his watch. "ten minutes late."

"My apologies Mr. Filch but there was a delicious tart at dinner this evening that I absolutely needed to have a second piece of before enduring this… delightful evening."

Elise stopped and turned to look at the two of them, polish and rag in hand.

Filch grunted. "You've earned yourself an extra thirty minutes of detention tonight, Black. Materials are in the center of the room and no magic."

Sirius snickered. "Of course not. Wouldn't dream of it."

"I will be back in one hour to check on your progress. Make sure that you have made some or I will be issuing additional detentions!" Filch threatened in a hopeful tone before leaving the two alone in the Trophy Room.

Silently, Elise turned back toward the cabinet and selected a smaller award to begin with, polishing it up to a bright shine before replacing it. Upon returning the trophy to the case she realized that Sirius had yet to begin working, turning to Sirius she said. "What is your problem?"

Sirius shrugged, picking up a rag and polish himself. "I just never thought I'd see the day."

Elise sighed but turned back to the cabinet. "What?"

"Well, the day a goody-two shoes like yourself would serve detention with the likes of me." He replied, almost proudly.

"This is most certainly not my first detention, Black. Just because I don't brag like you do doesn't mean I haven't had the misfortune of paying time for a crime."

"Oh, please. So, what? Is this your second detention then?" Sirius asked tossing his rag at Elise. She side stepped the toss but huffed and stomped her foot down on top of the rag.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

Sirius walked slowly over to her, stopping just in front of her. "I would. Now, would you mind handing me my rag?"

Elise's lips twitched into a smirk.

They paused a moment both eyeing the other and the words of Elise's friends from the night before came back to her.

" _You obviously put way more effort into your actions against Black than Peter."_

" _You just wait. The two of you will get together at least once this year."_

" _Sirius and Elise will end up bonking before Lily and James are serious."_

"It's none of your business." She said, crossing her arms over her chest and lifting her chin slightly. "Get it yourself." She referred to the rag.

He knelt down and yanked the rag out from under her foot.

Elise's eyes narrowed but she successfully kept her balance.

"I bet you I can guess." Sirius replied, slinging the rag over his shoulder.

"I bet you, you can't." She continued to look him over as he selected a trophy from across the room and began to polish it.

Sirius was moving smoothly with strong arms and hands. Elise noted that his pants fit snugly about the hips and ass but certainly not in an unappealing way. He turned to apply more polish to his rag, His tie was loose and his sleeves rolled up. His shirt fit well across broad shoulders. Elise couldn't help but decide that maybe her friends did have a point. She could never let them know that though.

He turned back to her suddenly. "I'll bet you that I can guess how many detentions you've had in three guesses."

Elise scoffed. "You're on. When I win, which I will, you have to clean the rest of the Trophy Room. If I lose, which I won't, I'll clean it."

Sirius seemed to consider it a moment before shaking his head. "I'll clean the Trophy Room if you win but if I win you have to go to Hogsmeade with me next month."

Elise was taken aback. "Sorry, what?"

Sirius smirked. "If I win you have to go to Hogsmeade with me."

"Why?" Elise asked incredulously.

"A couple of reasons but all of those reasons concluding with 'because it will annoy you'." He said simply, shrugging.

Elise rolled her eyes but was feeling confident. "Deal."

Sirius and Elise locked eyes and shared a firm handshake. She felt certain that he had no idea how many detentions she had served. No one really knew apart from her and Dumbledore. Even Lily, Dorcas, and Kim had no idea how many times she had been issued detention. It would be a simple win and less detention work.

Sirius took a step back and surveyed her and she firmly crossed her arms over her chest, remaining silent.

"Five."

Elise smirked. "Wrong. Higher. Two more guesses."

Sirius looked surprised but quickly composed himself. "Ten."

A smile broke out over Elise's face as she tossed him her rag and polish bottle. "Wrong again, Black." She crossed the room to lean against the only empty wall. "Higher."

"Hey now. You've haven't won just yet." He tossed the bottle and rag back.

"Well, then. Get it over with. What's your final guess?" Elise asked.

"It's twenty, isn't it?" Sirius asked, flicking his hair out of his eyes.

Elise laughed loudly. "Nope." She tossed the rag and bottle back to him.

"Now, what have you done to receive more than twenty detentions?" Sirius wondered aloud to himself.

"You'll never know, Black." Elise said, beginning to slowly pace the room behind him.

Sirius looked back at her over his shoulder and smirked. "Oh, I know. It's for studying too much, isn't it?"

The witch rolled her eyes but continued to walk.

"Oh, so it _is_ getting caught snogging in broom cupboards!"

Elise scoffed. "I have a temper that gets the best of me, alright? Don't test it."

"Oh, I believe I already have. That is the reason we are both here, isn't it?"

Elise nodded with a light chuckle. "So, it is."

"I know you won and everything but do you think you could just hold this one large plaque for me?" Sirius asked suddenly.

Elise shrugged and strode over to him, taking the plaque from his hands.

"You know," Sirius said as he rubbed at the plaque. "I was pretty peeved yesterday, and frankly I still am, but it was brilliant. I wish I'd thought of it."

Elise's eyebrows rose in shock. "Well, thank you. That seems a high compliment, coming from you."

Sirius barked a laugh, "Well, now. I wouldn't thank me just yet. You have yet to experience my revenge, Simon."

"Oh?" Elise replied quietly, eyebrows raised.

"Oh, yeah. You'd better watch yourself."

"I'm not afraid of you, Black." She looked him in the eye and he returned her gaze.

"Oh, no?"

"Nope."

Sirius smirked. "We'll see."

They fell silent. She felt her mouth go dry, she licked her lips and said, "Twenty two." to fill the silence.

"What?" Asked Sirius, taking the plaque from her and putting it in its place.

"This is my 22nd detention and tomorrow I will have 23."

Sirius smiled broadly and leaned back against the case, crossing his arms. "Well, aren't you just the little troublemaker. No wonder they didn't make you a prefect."

Elise shrugged with a small smile. "I told you." She took a step back and walked slowly around the perimeter of the room. "So, how about you?"

"What about me?"

"How many detentions have you had?"

"Guess."

"Twenty-nine."

"Nope. Higher.'

"Thirty three."

"One more try. Higher."

"Forty."

"Oh no, I lost count somewhere after thirty-five." Sirius replied, moving on to the next row of trophies. "But I do know that it's more like fifty at this point."

Elise turned on her heel to face him, slightly surprised. That did seem like quite a lot but she said nothing.

"So, when should I swing by Ravenclaw Tower?" Sirius asked cheekily.

"What?" Her arms were crossed now, surveying him carefully.

"Well, you couldn't get it in three guesses. So, when shall we begin our date, Simon?"

"In your dreams, Black."

"Very well." He said quickly. "I hadn't expected to get away with that. Hand me that extra bottle of polish, would you?"

Elise eyed him skeptically.

"Oh, come on, Simon. I'm almost done but I ran out."

She huffed but uncrossed her arms and grabbed the extra bottle of polish by her feet. She warily made her way over to him but stood a safe distance as she held out the bottle.

"What do you think I'm going to do, grab you and force you to go to Hogsmeade now?" Sirius snickered, taking the bottle from her hand and returning to the cabinet.

She scowled in response and leaned against the wall opposite him. "You thought about it."

"Mmm, well, sure." He replied, his back turned to Elise. "But I'll get you to go with me another way."

"I seriously doubt that, Black." But she looked him over again. He was pushing his hair out of his eyes yet again and licking his lips with a flick of his tongue. He was very cute. She shook her head and turned away and glanced at her watch. Filch would be back in about ten minutes.

"You want to know what I'm going to do to you for that stunt yesterday?" Sirius asked, tossing the rag and bottle of polish to the floor. Elise watched it roll out of the room and into the hallway before looking back at him.

She raised her eyebrows. "You're not going to tell me." She stated.

"Well, no. But I want you to remember it's coming." He said taking a few lazy steps toward her.

She stood her ground, meeting his steely grey gaze with her fierce blue one. "I think I can handle it."

He was standing right in front of her now. "Mm, we'll see." He pushed his hand through his hair even though it fell right back in his eyes.

She cross her arms over her chest. "Get out of my face, Black."

"Make me, Simon."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and when she opened them again she could swear he had somehow gotten even closer to her. Her eyes narrowed under his gaze. "I'm not getting another detention because of you." She said.

"Is that so?" He asked quietly, pressing his hand against the wall on a spot above her shoulder.

And suddenly the proximity took on a different atmosphere. It wasn't threatening and it was no longer building to a fight. She felt her pulse beat in her temples and throat and her glare softened.

It had somehow become _intimate._

For the first time in a long time she felt at a loss for words. With his other hand, Sirius brushed his fingers against the hair hanging down by Elise's face and she felt heat rise into her cheeks and he smirked lightly. Not teasingly and not with any menacing edge but with almost a modest knowing.

He'd seen her blush.

Elise felt a light brushing against her shins and looked down. "Shit!" She exclaimed and ducked under Sirius' arm and took a large step away from him as they both looked down at the cat between them.

"Well, I see the two of you have managed to do quite a bit of work here." Filch grumbled disappointed, seemingly unaware of what his nosy cat had just interrupted. "Ms. Simon, I suppose you may go. Your time here is up. Mr. Black, come with me. I'm sure we can find something unpleasant for you to do while you make up your lost time."

Elise glanced back at Sirius with an unreadable expression, nodded at Filch and bolted from the room.

* * *

"So, how'd detention with Elise go?" Peter asked upon Sirius's arrival through the dormitory door.

Sirius shook his head wordlessly. He dropped himself onto his back on his bed and released a sigh.

"That bad?" James asked. "Here." He handed Sirius a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

"Thanks mate." Sirius took a handful and tossed them into his mouth. "It wasn't really that bad. we bickered some but," he paused. But what?

"But?" Peter asked.

"But…" Sirius paused again. "I dunno. One minute we are fighting and the next… I…" He drifted off until he caught sight of James's face. "What?"

"You lot got to snogging in detention!" James exclaimed standing from his chair.

Sirius glared. "We didn't but there was definitely a moment… I dunno. I touched her hair and her face.. she blushed. I don't know!" He threw an arm over his eyes and groaned. "I touched her goddamned face!"

James sat back down laughing and nearly falling out of his chair. "I'm sorry, what? You touched her hair?"

"And her face." Peter added, matter of factly.

"I thought you had an epic come back in the works." James said, eyeing Sirius. "Now you're falling for the enemy?"

"Oh, I do and it's gonna be a good one too." Sirius sobered, sitting up. "But, I also, I dunno, enjoy arguing with her. She smells nice. I need to talk to Moony. He knows her best. He would know how to handle the situation."

"You totally fancy her." James said, throwing a handful of beans at Sirius's head.

"I do not!" Sirius exclaimed. "Hand me the map, will ya?"

James reached for it and tossed it in the way of the Bertie's Beans. "What do ya need it for?"

Sirius took it and opened it. Tapping it with his wand he said "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." As the ink filled in the pages and the map began to make sense, Sirius scanned the map for one specific dot.

"You don't fancy her but you are stalking her. Lovely." James said as he eyed the map over Sirius's shoulder.

"Shut up, Padfoot. I just want to see what she's doing."

"See what she's doing? Do you hear yourself, mate?" James asked but glanced down at the map. "Well, would you look at that." James said, leaning in closer. "Someone fancies a midnight jog."

Elise's dot was moving swiftly around the perimeter of the grounds.


	5. Do you hate me?

A/N:

As per usual, I don't own Harry Potter. I'm not JK Rowling, much to my dismay.

I also don't own the song that I use in this chapter. "Jug of Punch" is by the Clancy Brothers. I merely borrowed it. I'll include a link at the bottom if you'd like to hear it though.

Please enjoy.

* * *

The next morning Elise made her way down to the Hospital Wing before classes. She was skipping breakfast to be there, knowing that Remus would have been moved there by now and it was important that she get a chance to see him uninterrupted. She rounded the corner with her book bag slung across one shoulder and some flowers she'd picked held tightly in the opposite hand. Thankfully there was hardly anyone about and she was able to enter the Hospital without notice. She neared the bed she knew to be his and was pleased to find he was already awake.

"Good morning, Remus. You're looking well." Elise said, softly with a warm smile pulling at her mouth. "I brought you some flowers and notes from class yesterday." She placed the flowers in an empty vase on the bedside table before turning back to him.

"Well," he smiled. "this is an unexpected surprise. Thank you. Have a seat, please." He said politely while gesturing beside him.

"How are you feeling?" Elise asked, taking a seat beside his bed and pulling his copies of class notes from her bag and setting them down on the table beside the flowers.

Remus picked up the notes from the nightstand and began to skim them over. "Better than expected. I was feeling pretty awful yesterday, the nurse said my illness would last for more than…" he stopped and looked up at her, wrinkling his nose. "Do I really have to keep doing that?"

"Doing what?" Elise asked confused.

"I know you know… so, can I stop lying to you about my imaginary illnesses? It's exhausting coming up with new excuses every month."

Elise smiled, slightly embarrassed. "Of course, Remus. I would've said but I didn't want you to feel that I knew something personal about you that you didn't want me to."

He smiled back. "How long have you known, anyway?"

Elise shrugged. "Since second year. How long have you known I've known?"

Remus also shrugged with a smile. "Since last December when you almost told me off for being in the library late the night before a Full."

Elise smiled at the memory. It had been an awkward conversation then, both uncertain of the other and unsure of each's response.

" _Remus!" Elise hissed urgently. "What the hell are you doing down here?" She leaned in across the table, a little too close to the boys face, fear and anxiety flashing in her eyes._

 _Remus looked up unexpectedly from his work and froze. "What? What do you mean?"_

 _Elise's concern fell away to be replaced with embarrassment and maybe a little shame. "Oh, well. You know." She stood back up straight, rubbing the back of her neck while looking down. "You told Potter and Black that you'd leave an hour ago…" She trailed off lamely._

 _Remus looked at his watch and jumped out of his chair. He scooped his work up hastily and threw it in his bag. "Thanks, Elise." He said hastily before hustling out of the library._

"You know, I don't know how you do it but you don't manage to miss much." Remus said with a shake of his head, setting the notes down in his lap. "So, how has Hogwarts been getting along without me?" He asked.

"Well, first and foremost, Erin has been looking for you." Elise said, folding her hands and resting them in her lap.

Remus flinched. "Really?"

"Yes, she cornered me yesterday to ask where you were. I told her they sent you to your own bed in your dormitory to explain why you weren't here. Although, I suspect now that you are here she will come visit you some time today."

Remus nodded.

"If you are going to continue to pursue a relationship with her you are going to have to eventually tell her, you know." Elise advised.

He nodded again. "I know."

"She's quite intelligent. I think she could understand. She can think for herself enough to see past wizarding prejudice." Elise remarked thoughtfully, brushing her hair away from her face.

"You think?" Remus asked, sounding skeptical.

"I do." Elise said confidently bringing her gaze back to fix her ice blue eyes with Remus's light amber ones.

They were silent for a minute before Remus finally said "I'll consider it then."

They fell silent again and Elise looked down and smoothed her skirt across her lap.

"So," Remus broke the silence. "when are we going to talk about Sirius?" He asked slyly.

Elise glanced up sharper than she had intended knowing exactly what he must be talking about but asked anyway, "What do you mean?"

Remus chuckled lightly. "You're not the only one who knows things around here. James came to visit me late last night. Apparently, you and Sirius had a very interesting detention last night."

Dammit James. Elise swallowed. "We did."

She nodded and when Remus didn't say anything she continued. "It started out as most of our interactions do, we bickered, we glared, we insulted but erm… toward the end things got a bit peculiar."

"Peculiar how?" Remus prompted.

"He...we… I mean I…" She stopped. "I don't know, Remus. We almost… I swear we almost _kissed_. One second we are staring each other down and the next he's touching my hair and looking at me like…" She drifted off again and looked helplessly at Remus.

"Yes." Remus prompted again.

"I don't know Remus!" Elise exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air and leaning back in her chair.

"You do." He corrected.

She sighed. "He was looking at me like he wanted to be there with me, like he wanted to be near me. Which is not at all how we normally look when in the same room."

"Interesting," Remus drawled. "and how did you feel about that?" He asked, steepling his fingers and bringing them to his mouth to hide a smirk.

"Remus…" Elise whined, noticing his facial expression.

"Well?"

"Well, I don't know! At the time I wanted him to be there too but Rowena, Remus! Every time we get near each other we fight and curse each other." Elise brought her fingers to her temples. "I mean, I snuck the boy a potion to make him smile and say kind things to people all day because he turned my skin blue and that was just this week!"

"I don't see the issue." Remus said pointedly.

"Don't see the issue? Remus, you're joking."

"I am not. I don't think it's so bad that two people who challenge each other also want to be together, Elise." Remus reached for the glass of water on his nightstand and took a sip.

"Woah, woah, Remus. Who said anything about being together? I just want to have my way with him and then…"

Remus was choking on his water.

"Sorry, Remus." Elise muttered sheepishly.

He waved her comment away with his hand as he continued to cough. When he finally caught his breath he rasped, "I just wasn't expecting you to admit it quite like that." He set the glass down.

Elise scowled before glancing at her watch.

Remus noticed and asked, "When do you have class?"

"I have Defense Against the Dark Arts with Sirius, James, and Dorcas in about ten minutes. Speaking of which please don't mention this conversation to them. I can trust you to be a good sport. But the rest of our friends? Not a chance."

Remus nodded. "I won't but I think you should probably head out then. I hope you think about what I said. I think you should give Sirius more of a chance than just physical opportunities, as well."

"Mmm, yes, yes, Remus." Elise said quickly, standing up and slinging her bag across her shoulder. "I'm glad to see you're doing well. Will you be in class tomorrow?"

Remus smiled brightly. "Yep. I'll see you in Ancient Runes at three."

* * *

Peter was taking a lazy stroll that morning about the castle. He'd gotten up early thinking he'd had class only to realize that he was mistaken halfway through his breakfast. So, instead of doing anything productive he settled on an aimless meander throughout the castle.

As he walked he looked about at all the portraits and landscapes hung up on the walls, all the suits of armor and statues and realized he'd never really looked at his school before.

He stopped suddenly to look at a tapestry that appeared to be depicting a group of trolls attempting the ballet with some poor bloke in the middle being hit by the occasional club.

"Why, Pettigrew. Fancy seeing you here." A sly voice rang from behind him. Peter spun around and froze. With beady eyes he looked between the four Slytherins that now stood before him. The Carrows, Severus Snape, and Sirius's own brother, Regulus Black.

Peter swallowed hard to attempt to remove the sudden lump from his throat and nodded.

"Have you given our proposition any thought?" Alecto Carrow said softly, taking a step closer to Peter.

Peter said nothing and Amycus shook her head feigning sadness. "That's too bad. We had really hoped you would see the light, here. We could be good allies."

"Or fierce enemies." Alecto snickered, playing with the handle of his wand.

Peter watched him carefully. "Could we t-talk about this another time? I've g-got class soon and…" Peter trailed off, taking a few slow steps away from the four of them.

Regulus stopped him with a silent hand on his shoulder. "In a moment, Peter." He said smoothly.

"Tell you what, you give us a little something and we'll let you run along to class with both ears attached to your head. Deal?" Alecto said menacingly, drawing still nearer, his wand in his hand now.

Peter saw the switch and licked his lips nervously. "Give you what?"

"I'm glad you asked. We want you to tell us a little something about you friends, Peter. How about we start easy. How do they get around the castle all the time without getting caught?"

"I.. er.. well, they…" Peter started, wringing his wrists nervously.

"Out with it, already. You're not the only one with class, Pettigrew." Amycus spat.

"They just know the castle really, really w-well." Peter said, smiling a tight and anxious smile.

The Carrows took a step back but shared a look as they did so. "How?"

Dorcas Meadowes had woken up feeling quite antsy. She managed to sit through a quick breakfast but couldn't force herself to sit still enough to really listen to Lily discuss...well, whatever it had been that Lily wanted to blabber on about today. So, after choking down a bit of food and chugging a glass of water, Dorcas had excused herself hurriedly and had set off. She hadn't started out with much of a destination in mind but found herself making large strides toward her favorite tapestry in the castle. She rounded a corner and froze, taking in the scene in front of her.

"H-how?" Peter Pettigrew asked with a horrid stutter. "They just studied it. Looked it up in the library." Peter attempted vaguely.

"Mmm, very well." replied on of the Carrows, she could never keep them straight.

"Wotcha, Peter?" Dorcas called from down the hallway as she took in all of the surrounding Slytherin faces. She made slow, confident strides toward the boy, feeling her wand jab her leg through her pocket.

Peter shrugged but a look of relief washed over him to see her.

"Meadows." Alecto greeted coolly.

"Carrow." She replied, stopping next to Peter. "To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you on this bright and lovely morning?"

"We were just leaving." Amycus sneered stepping up to stand beside his sister.

"I didn't mean to scare you off." Dorcas said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Sure you don't want to stay for a chat?"

"Mm, yes. Well, the stench of your muggle blood is enough to put anyone off, isn't it?" Alecto replied calmly. He gestured to the others and they left, their cloaks sweeping around the corner and out of sight.

* * *

"Morning, Dorcas." Elise greeted upon entering the Defense Against the Dark Arts room.

"Morning." Dorcas returned.

Silence fell between the two of them for a moment while Elise got settled in her seat.

"So, there's nothing you want to tell me about?" Dorcas asked dryly.

"Erm, no? I had a good fly last night, if that's what you mean."

"No, it isn't. How was detention last night?"

Elise groaned. "How do you know?!" She exclaimed slightly exasperated.

"Oh, that James Potter has a big mouth." Dorcas replied scratching something out on her parchment and then scribbling something below it.

"Bloody Potter." Elise mumbled.

"So, Sirius touched your hair, huh?" Dorcas asked with a snicker.

"Shut up, Dorcas."

"Apparently you smell good too."

"Dorcas, I love you but so help me…"

"When's the wedding, Elise?"

Elise narrowed her eyes. "Ha. Ha. You're hilarious this early in the morning. Keen sense of humor. Really."

"Who's hilarious in the morning?" James asked, sliding into a seat next to Dorcas.

"Why, that would be me." Dorcas replied proudly while Elise scoffed.

"I didn't realize that the time of day had any significant impact on your brand of jokes. I simply must hear one." James demanded with a light pound of his fist on the desk.

As Dorcas relayed the past minute or two of conversation while Elise groaned and James erupted in a fit of laughter.

"By God, Elise! You're right. Dorcas really does have a talent for early morning antics."

"Say, where's Sirius? I'm sure I could tailor them to get a chuckle out of him as well." Dorcas asked, craning her neck about, searching the classroom.

* * *

Sirius was pacing outside of the hospital wing. The conversation he had had with James and Peter last night had not been at all helpful in discerning his detention with Elise the night before.

And he had another one with her tonight.

He ran his hands through his hair and entered the hospital wing.

"Moony?" Sirius called before approaching his hospital bed.

"Padfoot? Is that you?" Remus responded.

"Yeah, mate." Sirius said, making his way over to his friend. He stood at the foot of his bed and braced his hands on the end of the bed frame. "You're looking good for the day after." He commented.

"Thanks, Padfoot." Remus said calmly.

"Think you can handle a bit of a chat?" Sirius asked uncertainly.

"Is this about Elise?" Remus asked.

"How did you…"

"James last night and Elise this morning." Remus answered before he could finish the question.

Sirius nodded. "Right. You're friends with her too. What did she say?"

"Don't worry about what she said, Sirius."

"Right, right…" Sirius trailed off before moving over to take the chair beside Remus.

"So, what happened?" Remus asked patiently while Sirius spun the chair around and straddled it, resting his forearms on the chair back.

"We were having our detention, enjoying some delightful banter, I was informing her that I was going to get her good for that prank she got me with the other day and then all of that stuff fell away and I was distracted by how good she smelled and… and.." Sirius stopped. "Do you think she'd go to Hogsmeade with me?"

"I think she'd consider it." Remus replied.

Sirius nodded. "She doesn't hate me or anything, does she?"

Remus chuckled but said, "No. Of course not. You just… well, you annoy her on purpose and she knows you do it on purpose."

"Mm. That would be true. Can I help that it is hilarious? And also adorable. But mostly hilarious. I don't know why. I know that she's capable of transfiguring my arms into tentacles or something equally unpleasant but every time she threatens me or gets mad about something I said I just find it funny! Speaking of, do you think she would turn redder if I bewitched her book bag to run away from her or trap her in the trick stair?"

Remus gave Sirius a hard look. "May all four Founders help you, Sirius."

* * *

The Gryffindor table at dinner felt slightly empty without the presence of Sirius Black. James, Peter, and Remus all sat together chatting quietly without any loud barks of laughter. Lily and Dorcas noticed the eerie quiet coming from their section of the table. Taking their seat a few feet down from them, the girls felt his absence as well.

"How do you think Sirius and Elise are getting on right about now?" Dorcas asked the group, forking a potato.

"Oh, it's hard to say." Remus said vaguely with a wave of his hand. "They could be killing each other or they could just as easily be up to less than savory activities."

Dorcas and Lily nodded.

"I don't know there, Moony. I think it's far more likely, given the last detention they had together, that they are snogging up a storm rather than hexing each other." James added.

Lily shook her head. "No, way. I'll bet you anything they are both down there silently cleaning those cauldrons. I think it's about more than just kissing, James. I bet they're being awkward as hell."

"You are wrong there, Lilykins." Dorcas said. "They want each other bad but they would kill each other before they would actually get together."

"I'm inclined to side with Lily, Dorcas." Remus said. "I know the both of them and I have to say… it'll likely be physically before they can recognize how they feel, what getting past all the hostility, but I think they'll be together by years end."

"Most of the time, Moony, I would say you are spot on but in this case you couldn't be more wrong. You should've heard him when he came back to the dormitory after that detention. The two of them are gonna tumble in the sheets a few times and then be done with it."

"He was acting like that because he fancies her, Prongs. Don't be thick." Remus chastised.

"You're really that confident?" James asked with a sly smile.

"Indeed, I would say so." Remus replied with a curt nod.

"Care to make it… interesting?" James asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Remus rolled his eyes. "You want me to bet on my friends, James?"

"Yes. Yes, I do."

"I'll take you up on that." said Lily suddenly, leaning forward over her plate to better hear. "What are we betting?"

"By the last day of school Padfoot and Elise will be in a acknowledged, romantic relationship against the two of them hooking up a few times and then ceasing nearly all contact." James replied.

"Stakes?" asked Dorcas, leaning her elbows on the table.

"Loser buys butterbeers usually." Remus said with a shrug.

"Aw, come on. We can do better than butterbeers." Dorcas said with a roll of her eyes. "How about losers takes a skinny dip with the Squid?"

James nodded. "Very well. Who's in?"

"Against my better judgement, I do love to see you lose, Prongs." Remus said with a small grin.

"Great!" James exclaimed, turning to Peter. "Wormtail, you getting in on this?"

Peter looked up suddenly from his plate. "Oh, no. No, thanks."

"You okay, mate? You look awfully pale." James said concerned.

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine just worried about classes." Peter supplied quietly, pushing his food around with his fork.

James shrugged it off and turned back. "Well, anyway it'll be good to have a neutral party here."

"What happens if they don't get together at all?" Lily asked, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Well, we all have to take a dip." James replied with a nod. "Though I seriously doubt that will happen."

"Whatever happens we can't let them find out." Lily said.

"Could you imagine what the two of them together could concoct against us if they knew?" Dorcas asked with a shiver.

* * *

Yet again, Elise had shown up for her detention on time as requested. She walked up to Slughorn's office door and knocked twice.

"Come in!" She heard the professor call from within and she opened the door.

"Evening." Elise said calmly. This wasn't her first detention with Professor Slughorn.

"Evening, Ms. Simon. So, to what do I owe the pleasure this time?" The potions master asked.

Elise hesitated.

"Go on. You already got the detention might as well get credit for the deed."

"I tricked Sirius Black into drinking a cup of coffee I had a House Elf spike with a potion I brewed to make him smile and say nice things to people."

Slughorn let out a deep laugh. His smile was broad and made his eyes twinkle. "And how did you manage such a feat, Ms. Simon?"

"I combined the _Occid Beneficium_ Draught with a _Bellus_ Elixir and then charmed the whole potion with a _risum_ jinx." Elise supplied with a modest wave of her hand.

"Very clever, Ms. Simon. You are quite bright, you know. Don't tell the faculty, but that is some rather impressive magic, dear. I wish I could have seen it."

Elise smiled slightly proudly. "Thank you."

"I'm here! I'm here!" Sirius Black's voice called through the doorway. He was slightly out of breath and leaning in the doorway.

"Mm. Very well. Now that you are both here, why don't we get started. I've got a storage cupboard filled with cauldrons that need a thorough cleaning and a good buffer. You, of course, are not permitted to use magic but there are some Dragon Skin gloves in the closet that you should both wear. Who knows what half baked concoctions are sitting in the bottom of those cauldrons." Slughorn instructed.

When the two students didn't move Professor Slughorn waved them away with his hands. "Off you pop."

The two silently filed out of Slughorn's office and into the storage closet off the classroom. Elise grabbed a pair of gloves that looked about her size and pulled them on, grabbing cleaning materials from the shelf and pulling a stool over to the nearest cauldron. She looked into the depths and decided this particular one didn't look too bad. She got to work, applying the magical cleaning solution to the cauldron and giving it a thorough scrub.

"Padfoot" an echoing voice whispered. Elise looked over at Sirius in confusion for a moment before she remembered.

Elise sighed before saying, "James is calling you, eh? You'd better answer it."

Sirius had been rummaging around in his pocket but stopped when she spoke. Elise gestured back toward his pocket that was still whispering his name, albeit in less of a whisper now.

"I told you. You lot are not subtle." Elise said before turning back to her cauldron.

Sirius pulled the hand mirror from his robes to be met with James's face.

"Padfoot! How's detention. You lot carrying on alright?"

"Oh, you know. Cleaning cauldrons is a delight." Sirius answered him.

"Elise there?" James asked and Sirius rotated the mirror around to catch her in it's reflection. "Heya, Elise!" James greeted cheerfully.

"Erm, heya, James." Elise returned awkwardly before Sirius turned the mirror back on himself.

"Anyway, I wanted to let you know that we got some more of that tart from the kitchens and we are saving you some… but erm… you'd better get down here promptly after your detention." James finished, wiping a bit of crumb off his mouth with a smile.

"Brilliant!" Sirius exclaimed. "Thanks, mate. I'll see you after then." Sirius returned the mirror to his pocket and the two of them returned to silence.

Well, a brief silence.

"So." Sirius said, scrubbing a cauldron beside her.

"So?" Elise shot back.

"How was your day?" Sirius asked, uncertainly.

"What? Are you really asking me about my day? Making small talk?" Elise replied.

"Erm, well…"

Elise scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"What?! I'm not allowed to chat with my fellow detainee while we work?" Sirius asked.

Elise remained silent.

"Well, you don't have to respond but I am going to talk. Maybe sing if I feel up to it." Sirius said cheerily.

Elise shook her head and continued to focus on the task in front of her.

" _One pleasant evening in the month of June_ …" Sirius began to sing quietly to himself. " _As I was sitting with my glass and spoon. A small bird sat on an ivy bunch...And the song he sang was 'The Jug Of Punch_ '!"

Elise groaned but set aside the now clean cauldron and pulled a new one toward her. Sirius glanced over at her but when he noticed that was the only reaction he was going to get he continued a bit louder.

" _Too ra loo ra loo, too ra loo ra lay, too ra loo ra loo, too ra loo ra lay. A small bird sat on an ivy bunch_. _And the song he sang was 'The Jug Of Punch'_."

Elise took a deep breath and forced herself to relax. She scrubbed at the cauldron harder and bit her lip hard, refusing to look at him.

Sirius paused to grab a new cauldron, setting the one he'd been working on aside and took a huge breath before belting, " _What more diversion can a man desire? Than to sit him down by an alehouse fire, Upon his knee a pretty wench!_ "

"Oh, my Godric enough!" Elise cried, shooting him a murderous look. "We can do the small talk just stop with the bloody Irish drinking song, alright?"

Sirius looked triumphant and cleared his throat. "Well, if you insist. Do you know the song, then?"

Elise nodded, scrubbing the cauldron with renewed vigor. "My muggle father is quite fond of his pub songs. How do you know the song?"

"So, you're not a Full Blood. Interesting, Simon. Interesting. I'm Full. You know, a Black. But they disowned me o' course." Sirius supplied ignoring her question.

"I know your family, Sirius."

"Right. So, who's your mom's family then? Would I know 'em?"

Elise swapped out for a new cauldron but didn't answer.

"Aww, come on Simon. What's your mother's maiden name? I betcha I do know it." Sirius prodded.

"Malfoy." Elise said blatantly, keeping her eyes down on her work.

"Ooooh, no. No, you're not. You're pulling my leg, Simon." Sirius laughed. "Good one."

"Nope." Elise said simply with a shrug. "My mother is a Malfoy. Well, I should say was. They disowned her when she ran off to have a Half Blood baby with a French muggle."

Sirius whistled. "And I thought my family had it's issues. So… how did you manage to get yourself out of Slytherin House? I mean I know you're clever but you'd probably fit in quite snuggly there… a part from the whole blood-traitor mother thing you've got."

"Shut up, Black."

"I'm just saying! Green would suit you well!" Sirius snickered.

"Oh? And what about you? How'd you escape?" Elise countered.

"Me? Well, you see I am brave and kind of heart,"

Elise snickered.

"I am!" Sirius defended with mock offense.

"Right. Of course you are. What was the last nice thing you did for someone?"

"I stopped singing, Simon. Don't you remember?" Sirius said with a straight face.

"All that demonstrates is that you are bloody annoying." Elise pointed out.

"Aww, now that's just mean." Sirius pouted.

Elise looked down to his mouth before looking away, back to the cauldron in front of her.

Silence fell between them.

"You know," Sirius said suddenly. "I really am going to get you back for what you did."

Elise sighed. "Whatever, Black."

"No, really. You're going to hate it."

"I'm sure."

"I was talking to Moony about it today, actually." Sirius said slowly.

"Were you." Elise said, bored.

"Mmhmm. He said you went to visit him this morning too." A grin was slowly starting to worm it's way onto Sirius's face as he observed the way her hair fell over her face and her skirt rode up to reveal a bit more thigh than normal.

"I did." Elise agreed calmly. "What's your point?"

"He said you came to talk about me." The smirk was now fully present, taking up most of his face.

"That is not your business." Elise said, pulling a new cauldron toward her.

"Oh, I think it is. He said you thought I was dishy." Sirius lied, adjusting his glove and looking over at her.

Elise's face pulled into a sneer. "He did not."

"Oh, but he did. You know what else he said?"

"I know what he actually said. Not this bollocks you're spewing."

"He said you liked being around me yesterday." Sirius guessed, watching her closely.

The girl's expression didn't change but a light blush crept into her cheeks. Bingo.

"He did not say that." Elise said hotly.

"I saw you blush yesterday too. You can hide behind your glares and scowls, darling, but you can't hide the blush across your cheeks."

Elise felt her cheeks warm and she stood up. "Only because you touched my face, Black. You may hide behind your smirks but you initiated yesterday. You touched me." Elise emphasized.

"And?" Sirius stood too, pulling the gloves off and tossing them onto his now vacant chair.

Elise took a step back and a look of comprehension spread across her face. She shook her head and chuckled to herself. "You're doing this on purpose." She said, raising her eyebrows.

"Doing what?" Sirius asked, taking a step toward her.

"You're riling me up on purpose. To make me mad. To make me fight with you." She said. "Tell me I'm wrong." She lifted her chin and crossed her arms over her chest.

Sirius shrugged taking another step toward her. "You're not."

"Of course I'm not." Elise eyed him warily, remembering full well how this scenario turned out the night before.

"Of course you're not." Sirius repeated closing the small gap between them. He brought his hands on either side of her head and her eyes widened.

"Sirius," she was saying breathlessly.

"It's been an hour so I'm just…Oh."

The two students sprang apart quickly upon the entrance of their Potions Professor. He eyed the two of them suspiciously before taking a look into the group of cauldrons the two of them had cleaned. "Well, you did clean the number of cauldrons necessary… and I'm going to," He paused. "forget about what I saw here. Why don't the two of you just run along off to bed. It'll be curfew soon."

Without further prompting the pair swiftly left the room.

* * *

Lily, Dorcas, Remus, and James stared at the mirror with mixed expressions. Most were surprised but James was looking oddly cheerful as they eavesdropped on their best friends.

"Right. Of course you are. What was the last nice thing you did for someone?" Elise was saying snottily.

"I stopped singing, Simon. Don't you remember?" Sirius shot back.

"Mmm, he's got a point there." James agreed to which Lily elbowed him in the ribs and put a finger to her lips to shush him. "What? He's a lousy singer."

"If we are going to do this we can't get caught. If we can hear them they could hear us, James." Lily added quietly in a light whisper.

"He said you came to talk about me." Sirius was saying now.

"That bugger!" Remus exclaimed quietly crouched around the mirror with the rest of the Gryffindors.

"That is not your business." Elise was saying, accompanied by the sounds of heavy metal dragging on the ground.

"Oh, I think it is. He said you thought I was dishy." Sirius was replying.

"That sodding liar!" Remus remarked. "I did not tell him that."

Remus's comment was met with James and Lily shushing him hurriedly before their attention was pulled back to the voices drifting from the cauldron.

"I saw you blush yesterday too. You can hide behind your glares and scowls, darling, but you can't hide the blush across your cheeks." Sirius said slyly.

"Only because you touched my face, Black. You may hide behind your smirks but you initiated yesterday. You touched me." Elise said loudly.

The five friends glanced up at each other. James looked to Lily and Remus. "Dammit all. Maybe you two were right."

"You're riling me up on purpose. To make me mad. To make me fight with you. Tell me I'm wrong." Elise said quieter than before.

The magic folk surrounding the mirror shared looks but continued to listen. Lily's hand was hovering over her mouth, eyes wide.

"You're not." Sirius said quietly, barely a whisper. The group leaned in closer.

"Of course I'm not." Elise replied, equally quiet but confident.

"Of course you're not." Sirius repeated.

There was a small, light gasp. "Sirius," Elise began.

"What!" Whispered Dorcas urgently. "What's happening?

"Nothing now." Said Remus as they listened to Professor Slughorn's voice come over the mirror.

"...and I'm going to," He paused. "forget about what I saw here. Why don't the two of you just run along off to bed. It'll be curfew soon."

"But what did he see?!" Exclaimed Lily, louder than she meant to. She was met with shushing and covered her mouth again.

* * *

As the two students walked hurriedly down the hall in silence their minds were running a mile a minute. Elise concerned with what almost transpired while Sirius was nearly hitting himself for losing the opportunity.

"Hey, Simon?" Sirius asked suddenly, keeping his strides long to keep up with her quick ones.

"Black." She answered curtly, keeping her eyes ahead.

"Do you hate me?"

Elise slowed at that, glancing over at him. "No, of course I don't. You're a right git fairly often but I don't hate you, Black."

Sirius nodded. "Just checking."

The two fell back back into silence and parted ways. Elise toward Ravenclaw Tower and Sirius toward Gryffindor.

* * *

A/E/N:

As promised, Jug of Punch: watch?v=WUgh4JuOJrg


	6. Tell me about the pants dream now?

A/Ns:

I don't own Harry Potter, not JKR.

Sorry this took so long, I had some stuff go down that needed to be taken care of.

Anyway, please enjoy.

* * *

 _Elise awoke suddenly, feeling something was amiss. Somehow she knew that her parents were not in their bedroom across the hall from hers, the house was too dark and too silent for that to be accurate. Elise struggled to pull the heavy, warm covers off of her small body and climbed out of bed. She toddled over to the door of her room, rubbing sleep from her eyes and opening the door a crack, peering out tentatively._

 _The hallway was just as dark as her room had been except for a small sliver of light coming from a door ajar down the hallway. Elise knew it to be the door leading to the kitchen. Her fingers curled tight around the edge of the door and she listened hard. The anxious voices of her parents drifted down the hall. Light, high pitched whispers full of fear. Elise's fingers gripped tighter but otherwise she was frozen to the spot._

" _Please!" Her mother's voice was begging, answered by a low, gruff laugh, a bright streak of light, and a commotion. The door to the kitchen opened suddenly. The hulking form of Fenrir Greyback filled the frame of the door, his sharp, dark grey eyes spying her immediately down the hallway. His grin grew wide as he bounded down the hallway after her. Elise fell backward in surprise and kicked the door shut with her small, stocking clad feet. She curled up into a tight ball on the floor as she heard a scratching at the door and then it was gone. Not open. Just gone, Fenrir had ripped the door through the jam and off of it's hinges and tossed it aside._

 _Elise's eyes widened at his power and intent. She opened her mouth to scream, scrambling back to wiggle under her bed._

Elise woke up in a cold sweat, breathing hard, tears streaming down her face. She wildly looked about her. When her gaze was met with the dark blue of her canopy that she knew to be in Ravenclaw Tower and not the grey blue eyes and sinister grins of her nightmares she allowed herself a deep shuddering breath. She choked back a sob and leaned forward to rest her head in her hands. She took another deep breath and swallowed hard. She shook her head to clear her oldest fears and stole a glance at her watch resting on her nightstand. It was early, 4:30 to be exact. With a sigh she tossed her sheets from her body and stood up. She wouldn't be getting back to sleep in time for it to make any difference.

She threw on a jumper and silently left the dormitory. She carefully tread down the steps to the common room and strode over to one of the many windows. She gazed out at the still dark grounds and threw the window open to be met with a chilly breeze that gently blew her hair back. She breathed deeply and felt herself relax slightly, her dreams slowly starting to fade away. She climbed up onto the ledge of the window and allowed her eyes to drift shut.

Focusing on the task at hand, Elise felt her body shiver and transform. Her arms grew lighter and thinner covered in feathers as her body shrunk down. In her place a hawk now stood. Her once ice blue eyes were now a crisp amber. Her feathers were predominantly a rich, coffee brown with frequent white flecks and striking streaks of honey blonde. When she had completed her transition she spread her wings and flew out the window, taking a sweep of the tower before heading off over the rest of the grounds.

* * *

Lily woke with a yawn and a glare toward her clock on her night stand. She closed her eyes another moment more before throwing her covers off of her and swinging her legs around to meet the hardwood floor. Pulling on her robes she complained to herself about how awful having rounds at this hour was but she knew it was her turn and dutifully continued to quietly bustle about the room. She slipped out the door and found a comfy spot on the couch to wait for James.

She was only seated a moment before the Head Boy himself was stumbling sleepily down the stairs and eyeing her groggily.

"Morning." He said, nodding her way. His voice was rough and scratchy and Lily found herself wanting to hear more of it.

"Morning." She responded slowly, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "You ready to head out?"

He nodded and continued to stumble out of the Common Room and into the hallway. Together they walked following the regularly set path in silence. Nothing to be heard but the shuffling of their feet echoing down the hallway. It was uncommon to run across students out of bed at this hour.

The pair rounded a stony corner and began to make their way up the stairs.

"So," James began, rubbing his eyes again. "How in the bloody hell did we get stuck with this time again?"

Lily smiled inwardly to herself but refused to allow the muscles of her mouth to reflect her amusement. "Bad luck."

James grunted and nodded as they continued to climb the stairs in silence. Reaching the next floor they began to walk around the floor idly.

"When is our next patrol time?" James asked and Lily rolled her eyes. He had the schedule and it was posted in the Prefect's office.

"Thursday night, eleven to one." Lily said shortly.

James nodded. "That oughta be better than this, eh?"

Lily sighed. "Probably."

"Speaking of Thursday, have you thought about what you're going to do for your Transfiguration project?"

Lily looked over at the boy walking beside her. It was only Monday and all they needed to submit for Thursday was a briefly outlined prospectus on their topic. "Briefly yes. I'm thinking of looking into the differences in transfiguring different living organisms. Amphibians vs Mammals vs Reptiles vs Birds vs Fish, you know. What about you? Given it any thought?"

James shrugged with a quirk of his mouth. "Well, I was actually hoping to bounce a couple of ideas off of you. See what you thought, as it were."

Lily's eyebrows rose. "You want my opinion?"

James shoved his hands deep in his pockets. "Well, yes. Unless you think I should ask Elise?"

Lily shook her head. "No, no. I'll help. Although, Elise is definitely better at Transfiguration than I am."

James nodded. "She may be but I'd rather get your help than hers. She can get a little…" James trailed off.

"Thorough?" Lily offered. She knew how Elise could get about assignments. Thorough was the nice was of saying she could get obsessed and perfectionistic with her assignments.

"Sure. Thorough." James chuckled.

"So, what did you have in mind?" Lily pressed.

James ran a hand through his hair and glanced over at the red head beside him. "Well, I've been wrestling with a couple of ideas." He said slowly. "But none are as great as yours."

Lily waved a hand. "I'm sure it will be fine, James."

"How about something to do with the difficulties of transfiguring yourself vs someone or something else?"

Lily nodded but froze when they passed by a window in the corridor. Her eyes grew round as she took in the sight outside the window. A hawk was perched on a branch of a tree not too far from the window before it suddenly took off into the night.

"Son of a…"

"What? What is it? Is someone outside?" James asked, craning his neck to see out the window behind Lily.

Lily spun around, away from the window suddenly. "No. Nothing. I just thought I saw someone." She said hurriedly and grabbed his arm and began hauling him away.

"Huh." James was saying behind her, he was still attempting to see out the window. "Did you see that hawk though?"

Lily's grip on his arm tightened and renewed her vigor to pull him away from the spot. He allowed her to pull him away and towards the stairs to go up another floor. "I see it all the time. Something about the colors in his feathers are incredibly memorable."

Lily nodded but said nothing, silently seething. What was Elise doing out at this hour?

"I can't quite put my finger on why but he almost seems familiar. Must just be because I see him so often."

"How often?" Lily asked suddenly, pulling the arm she still had a grip on to force him to face her.

He looked down at where she was still touching him and she snatched her hand back. A light smile pulled at his mouth but he licked his lips and shook his head. "I dunno. Every few weeks or so, I imagine."

Lily nodded and looked away from him, both embarrassed that she'd been in physical contact with him for so long and equally frustrated with Elise's recklessness. She made a mental note to talk to her about it at breakfast.

"So, what interests you in personal vs external transfiguration?" She asked to change the subject as they continued their patrol.

* * *

Kim made her way down to the Great Hall that morning with an overwhelming feeling of excitement welling up in her chest. She nearly ran to her regular place at the Hufflepuff table and took a seat. She poured herself a drink and grabbed some food before checking her watch anxiously.

Some fellow Hufflepuffs were trying to talk to her but she wasn't paying attention. She answered noncommittally as she pushed the food she'd gotten around her plate. They soon gave up on trying to get Kim to respond earnestly and conversation returned between themselves.

Kim took a few bites of her food, glancing around the Hall, waiting.

She was about to take a sip of water when she saw a familiar streak of red hair rush by the head of her table, making her way over to the Ravenclaw table. Kim followed Lily's direction with her eyes until she stopped in front of Elise.

Elise looked up from her morning paper, surprised. Kim noted that she looked tired, as Elise often did. The girl studied more than anyone she knew, including Lily, Dorcas, and Remus. Kim watched the exchange unfold before her, unable to hear what they were talking about, she was relying heavily on Lily's body language and the expressions on Elise's face.

Lily was waving her hands around wildly until her palms found a place planted firmly on the Ravenclaw table. So, Lily was mad. Very mad, by the looks of it.

Elise's eyebrows furrowed as she folded her copy of The Daily Prophet, setting it down beside her plate.

Lily's head was nodding and Elise responded while crossing her arms over her chest. Elise's eyes narrowed.

Kim couldn't quite figure out what was happening but she did know one thing. Both of her friends were not happy about whatever it was they were discussing. She would have to ask them about it later.

Lily was brushing a sheet of red hair over her shoulder when a letter was dropped onto Kim's plate. She beamed and tore into it, her friend's discussion forgotten.

 _My Darling Kimmy,_

 _These past few weeks without you have been, dare I say, miserable. I hope that this letter finds you in far better health than I myself am experiencing. On a more positive note, my parents are making plans to visit London for our winter holiday. I was thinking that we should make some sort of attempt to see each other in that time. Let me know what you think in your response._

 _So, how has school been going for you? My instructors are all hell bent on longer hours, harder assignments, and all the more homework. What will I possibly need with Calculus after I leave this place? Nothing, that's what._

 _In any case, I look forward to hearing how your own studies are progressing._

 _Forever Yours,_

 _Aengus Finnigan_

* * *

Elise was staring at her paper but wasn't absorbing a damn thing from the contents. Even after her fly she still couldn't help but keep thinking about her nightmare. She would be having more this week, she knew. They always plagued her for days at a time before she would be able to sleep without them for awhile.

Elise sighed heavily and turned the page of her paper, maybe a different article would pull her from her own mind.

"Just what the hell do you think you were doing this morning." A sharp voice hissed in front of her. Elise looked up sharply in surprise.

"What?"

"I saw you while on patrol this morning." Lily grit through her teeth.

"And?" Asked Elise tiredly, working hard not to roll her eyes at her friend.

"And?!" Lily whispered. "You're going to get caught! Elise, you can't just keep going out to fly... " Lily coughed. "You can't just fly your broom whenever you feel like it!" Lily was going red in the face and punctuating her point with her hands. "I know there's nothing wrong with flying but, Merlin, Elise. You're going to get yourself in trouble." With her last statement, Lily slammed her palms down on the table.

Elise set her paper down and looked Lily over. "And who am I going to get in trouble with? You?"

Lily's eyes narrowed. "If that's what I have to do, Elise. There are scarier things out there at night than me."

"You're going to give me detention?" Elise asked, folding her hands over her chest.

"If I ever see you out after hours again, yes."

Elise could feel her blood pulsing in her throat and temples but froze her facial expressions. She wouldn't let Lily know that she was getting worked up. "I can take care of myself, you know."

"James saw you, too. He doesn't know it's you but he did recognize you. He said he's seen you multiple times before!" Lily exclaimed, quietly tossing her hair over her shoulder.

Of course, he'd seen her. Elise couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes this time. Plenty of people had seen her.

Lily's face hardened as Elise rolled her eyes. "One day you aren't going to be able to take care of yourself and you're going to wish that you'd listened to me, Elise."

Elise scoffed.

"I mean it. One day you'll be in more trouble than just with a teacher and you're going to get seriously hurt."

Elise locked eyes with Lily, her strong ice blue with Lily's bright green. "I know what I'm doing."

Lily bit the inside of her cheek and broke their eye contact. "I certainly hope so." And with that she turned and walked away leaving Elise fuming.

* * *

By the time Arithmancy started Lily was still furious. She sat in her seat, gripping her quill far too tightly and it snapped between her fingers. Lily growled and dropped it onto the desk before pulling a new one from her bag.

Dorcas, who was seated beside her, stared at her openly. "What in the bloody hell happened with you and Elise this morning. I haven't seen you this mad since…" Dorcas glanced at James sitting in front of them.

Lily sighed also glancing at the back of James's head. "She's just reckless is all. She's going to get herself in trouble and she doesn't care enough to think about what she's doing before she does it."

Dorcas snorted.

"Well, she is!" Lily exclaimed, displeased with Dorcas's response as she attempted to clean the ink on her fingers.

"Of course she is. She's been that way the entire time we've known her, Lily. You're telling me these attributes are only getting to you just now?"

Lily huffed. "Well, she just pushed it recently."

Dorcas's eyebrows rose.

Lily glanced at James and Sirius in front of them and shook her head.

"Is this about her flying her broom at all hours of the night?" Dorcas asked pointedly, noticing Lily's refusal to talk about Elise's ability and tendencies.

Lily nodded. She glanced anxiously at the boys in front of her but they were far too involved in passing each other notes to pay attention to what the girls were discussing.

"I'm just worried someone," She pointed with her quill at James who had just punched Sirius on the shoulder with a grin. "Will recognize her and hurt her."

Dorcas nodded but said, "Why would they hurt her?"

Lily threw her hands into the air and looked skyward. "Why should I know? I just want her to be safe."

"She can take care of herself, Lily."

Lily shook her head but didn't respond.

* * *

Elise was lost in thought, sitting alone in her Charms class waiting for it to start when Kim took a seat beside her.

"Morning." Kim said cheerfully a piece of paper clenched tightly in her hand as she sat down.

"Is that a letter from your muggle lover-boy?" Elise asked, gesturing to the paper that was most certainly not parchment.

Kim grinned and nodded. "Do you want to read it?"

Elise wrinkled her nose. "Why don't you just tell me."

Kim shrugged and began settling in for class. "He says his family is coming to London for the Christmas holiday so, we are going to try to make plans to see each other.!" Kim told her excitedly.

Elise made herself smile for the sake of her friend. "That sounds great Kim."

Kim nodded enthusiastically but when she caught sight of Elise's tight smile, she frowned. "What happened with you and Lily this morning, Elise? I saw her storm over to you at breakfast."

Elise sighed. "She's mad at me because I went flying this morning and she saw me while on patrol with Potter."

Kim nodded. "But why were you flying so early? Hardly seems like you to fly around when you could be sleeping."

Elise could have kissed her. "When you talk to Lily about this later, will you remind her that she never asked me that? That she assumed I was just doing it for the hell of it?"

Kim snorted. "Sure. So, why were you out?"

Elise looked down. "I was having nightmares."

"The ones about your pants, again?"

"No, Kimberly!" Elise said, giving her friend an amused glare. "They were about the night my mum was attacked."

"Oh." Kim said quietly, laying a hand over Elise's. "I'm so sorry, dear."

"It's fine. It's just difficult when I first wake up from them and flying a bit helps me shake it off faster, you know?"

Kim nodded, being a Beater for the Hufflepuff team, Kim knew exactly what it was like to let off steam in the air.

They were quiet for a minute before Kim took her hand back. "So, what are you doing tonight? I'm having a bit of trouble with a potion I need to make for Herbology… for some reason it keeps exploding on me."

Elise snickered. "What do you mean this potion is exploding? Don't all the potions you brew explode?"

Kim glared.

"Isn't that why you didn't want to take potions with Lily and I?" Elise pressed.

Kim's glare darkened. "Yes. So, will you help me or not? I can't keep using magic to grow in my eyebrows. They keep coming back thicker."

* * *

James was attempting to take notes in class when a bit of parchment folded into a flower floated gently onto his desk. He glanced over at Sirius who was pretending to pay attention to the lesson. James rolled his eyes but unfolded the note.

 _So, how was patrol this morning?_

James scribbled a reply and passed it back while the professor had her back turned.

Sirius glanced down at his mate's reply and had to stifle a laugh.

 _Excellent! Woke up before the sun and snogged in a cupboard until breakfast._

Sirius found an open space on the parchment and scratched out a reply _Come, on mate! How'd it go?_

James sighed. _Well, enough. She helped me with my transfiguration topic and she touched my arm._

Sirius wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. _Well, you know what that means._

James punched Sirius hard on the shoulder when the teacher turned back to the board to write more notes.

Sirius rubbed his arm and mouthed "Ow." at his friend, feigning deep offense.

James stuck out his tongue but pulled another bit of parchment from his piles of paper on his desk. _How's your plan to get Simon back going?_

Sirius frowned. _Poorly. I need it to piss her off more than the last one but not so much that she won't go out with me._

James nodded. _That's a tall order, mate._

Sirius sighed and shook his head. _You're telling me. So, what do you think. Enchant her ink and quill to only write Mrs. Elise Black or curse her broom to only fly in circles?_

 _I think the ink and quill is the closest thing to what you're going for but not quite right._ James responded.

Sirius crumpled the parchment and slumped down in his seat. "I know." He groaned.

"Very good Mr. Black. Care to show your work on the board?" The Arithmancy professor said.

"Dammit." Sirius cursed under his breath while James snickered.

* * *

Peter sat anxiously at the Gryffindor table for lunch. He was nibbling nervously at the sandwich he had fixed for himself but wasn't really trying to eat it. He was growing distant and he was sure his friends would notice soon but he didn't know how to handle the situation. He didn't do well on his own. Sure, he could manage his classes alright and worked well in a team but when it came to confrontation he was used to having his friends to back him up. His interactions with the Slytherins were sure to continue but he had no idea how to deal with them. He doubted that he would be able to get away with evading their questions for long. They would figure out that he knew more than he let on…

"Wormtail." Sirius said suddenly beside him and Peter cringed slightly before looking at his friend.

Sirius's mouth quirked up into a confused but amused smile. "What's in your bonnet?"

Peter shook his head, forcing a smile onto his face. "I was just thinking."

Sirius laughed loudly, helping himself to food in front of him. "Since when?"

Peter felt his ears burn hot. "I'm just worried about class."

Sirius nodded and slapped a hand on Peter's back. "You'll do fine mate. I don't know why you get so worked up about it. You know what you're doing."

Peter nodded and glanced about the Hall. He happened to look over at the Slytherin table and locked eyes with Alecto Carrow. She grinned and turned back to her table.

Peter gulped.

* * *

Elise was sitting at her normal spot in potions next to a currently empty seat. She tapped her fingers on the table beside her cauldron and wondered if Lily would even come to class that day. It was unusual for her to skip, unheard of really, but when they parted ways that morning Lily was not happy and Elise wouldn't put it past Lily to give her a bit of the cold shoulder for a day or two.

However, even as she thought this she heard Lily's voice behind her. Elise turned to see her chatting with Severus Snape. Lily smiled a small, tight smile and sat down beside him at his table.

Elise narrowed her eyes at the pair and turned back around. She knew that Lily didn't agree with what she did but was Lily so upset with her that she was willing to sit with Severus Snape? They hadn't spoken much since the day at the lake when he'd called her a Mudblood except for his wimpy apologies and attempts to win her back.

Elise chewed the inside of her cheek angrily. Lily didn't even understand why Elise had gone out that morning. Hadn't even asked. Being out so early was hardly something Elise did often and Lily knew her friend well enough to know that she wasn't doing it purely for recreation.

Elise suddenly tasted a sharp metal on her tongue and realized she'd cut her mouth on her teeth. She swallowed and silently cursed Lily, her ignorance, and her apathy.

A rather burly figure then slid into the stool beside Elise and she looked up. Oscar Bulstrode was now setting up his belongings in Lily's seat and grunted a greeting at Elise.

"Afternoon." Elise said slowly and turned in her seat to look at Lily again. It was obvious she was avoiding eye contact with Elise, staring down at her closed potions book.

Elise turned back to the front seething. She slammed her book open to the pages written on the board and angrily began reading the instructions.

* * *

After a trying potions lessons with Oscar Bulstrode, Elise was delighted to make her way to the Great Hall of dinner. She sat down in her normal seat and prayed that her Ravenclaw acquaintances would leave her in peace to enjoy her book.

However, no more than ten minutes later Cynthia was sliding into her seat across from Elise. "Rough potions, eh?" She asked, helping herself to food.

Elise grunted but set her book down. "Lily's mad at me."

Cynthia nodded, taking a bite of potatoes. "I heard."

"Have you heard how mad?" Elise asked, rubbing her temples.

Cynthia nodded again. "Talk of the school is that she ditched you in potions today for Severus, is that right?"

Elise sighed. "Yeah."

Cynthia fixed Elise with a sympathetic look. "She'll come round, eventually."

"Eventually." Elise agreed. The blonde looked about the Hall and found that none of her other friends were in for dinner yet. Not Kim, not Lily or Dorcas or anyone else that she normally cared to spend time with. Her gaze turned to the Slytherin table and settled on Severus Snape. He was surrounded by some of the more extreme of his House. Alecto and Amycus Carrow were seated on other side of him, discussing something animatedly, while Regulus sat across from them silently observing.

Her gaze traveled down the table and stopped on a group of far more pleasant Slytherins. Narcissa Black was seated among them, smiling brightly and gesturing with her fork as the group laughed. Elise's gaze settled on Ian Livic. Ian was a dashing seventh year boy Elise had vaguely fancied since their first year of school together. He was tall, at least a foot taller than Elise with shaggy copper hair and bright hazel eyes. He was cunning and resourceful but also kind to those around him. Almost as though he felt her eyes on him he looked up and saw her. His smile brightened and he lifted his hand in a discrete wave.

Elise lifted her own hand and blushed lightly before looking away and back to Cynthia who was raising her eyebrows.

* * *

Sirius gripped his fork tightly as he watched Elise wave back to Ian Pinprick-Livic. James noticed but said nothing.

"So, I think I've decided what I'm going to do to Simon, Prongs." Sirius said, his eyes still fixed on Elise who was now chatting with… Sarah. Or was it Cindy?

"Do you?" James asked, uninterested, shoveling food into his mouth.

Sirius nodded a wicked grin spreading across his face as Elise brushed her hair out of her face.

"Don't tell Remus though. He'll have a cow."

* * *

Remus had been working dutifully in the Library since he got out of class. He wasn't feeling particularly hungry and had opted out of dinner, knowing that he had a bit of chocolate in his room if he needed something to tide him over until breakfast.

"Heya, Remus. Mind if I sit?" Remus looked up to find himself looking at Erin Walter. A pretty smile graced her lips as she gestured to the open chair beside him.

Remus smiled back and nodded. "Please."

She happily took the seat beside him and began pulling books out of her bag. "It's nice to see you up and about, back to your regular routine." She said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Remus nodded in agreement. "So, what have you got to work on tonight?" He asked.

Erin wrinkled her nose. "Muggle studies."

Remus snorted. "Come now. Muggle studies aren't so bad."

Erin smiled. "No, of course not. It's no Defense Against the Dark Arts, but who cares about muggles?"

Remus looked back down to his work. _He_ cared about muggles.

Sensing that she was losing her audience Erin changed subjects. "So, what are you working on?"

"Oh, just some Ancient Runes." Remus said with a gesture of his hand toward the three books he had out.

"Fun stuff." Erin giggled.

"Oh, yes. Translating passages from the textbook are a joy to a behold."

Erin giggled again. "I can imagine." Remus saw Erin glance at his mouth before bringing her gaze back up to his eyes and then looking back toward her books.

"So, Remus. I actually didn't come here to study with you or talk about school work." Erin admitted.

Remus glanced at the due date she had written on the parchment she had set out and noticed the date was set for next week.

"No?" He asked, setting down his quill.

Erin glanced back at him. "I was actually wondering if you would want to go to Hogsmeade with me. I know the first visit is still about two weeks away but…" She trailed off and looked away.

Remus just stared at her. "I… I.. um. You want to… to go to Hogsmeade?" He stammered.

"With you, yes."

Remus nodded. "Are you sure?"

Erin laughed quietly and brushed the back of her hand down his cheek. "Sure, I'm sure. If you want to go with me, that is."

Remus's face felt hot under her fingers and he licked his lips anxiously. He knew he shouldn't. He knew that whatever this was with Erin had gone too far. He knew that he should tell her no.

"I would love to go to Hogsmeade with you." He said instead, surprised at his own response.

Erin smiled widely and leaned toward him, brushing her lips against his own. Remus's stomach clenched nervously but his heart began beating harder. He reached a hand up to stroke her cheek with his thumb and then she pulled away grinning.

"Great." Erin said, blushing lightly.

"Great." Remus repeated, touching his mouth with his fingers.

* * *

 _Elise had wiggled her way under her bed and could now only see the shins of Fenrir Greyback walking slowly toward her._

 _Elise shivered in fear, she could neither cry nor think and only waited._

" _Greyback!" Came a cry from the doorway. It was her mother! "You know you aren't here for her."_

 _Greyback snarled a snicker. "I could use a snack."_

 _There was a flash of bright blue light with a bang and another snarl from Greyback. Elise heard her mother scream and the girl pushed herself farther back under the bed and covered her ears as she heard the sound of ripping flesh and her mother's continued screams. Elise began to sob, helpless, hiding under her bed while she waited for the noises to stop. A few moments later her mother dropped to the floor and the sharp, copper smell of blood stung Elise's nose._

 _Greyback's face suddenly appeared in the space between the bed and the floor, surprisingly close to where Elise had been cowering. His mouth was covered in blood, her mother's blood. He licked his lips and grinned._

" _You remember this day, girl. Remember what your mother's family is capable of. Remember that one day I will be coming for you too."_

Elise awoke and sat up suddenly, covered in sweat. Elise shuddered and bit her lips hard. She cried silently into her hands as she thought about her poor mother. Elise could still remember what it sounded like, her mother nearly being ripped apart by that monster before being dropped to the floor so carelessly. A new wave of sobs racked her body as Elise tried to relax, tried to let it go but Greyback's final words seemed to echo around her.

" _One day I will be coming for you too."_

Elise laid back down.

" _One day I will be coming for you too."_

Normally, Elise would go fly for a while and let the cool night air lift thoughts of her dreams from her mind but after her fight with Lily, Elise was feeling less inclined.

Elise looked at the watch she kept on her night table. It was still early in the evening, only a little after midnight. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Visions of her mother's bloody form flashed in front her eyes and Elise opened them again. She stared at the canopy above her a moment before throwing her covers off of her.

To hell with Lily, Elise was going down to the kitchens.

She slipped out of her dormitory, through the Common Room and down the Tower steps.

" _One day I will be coming for you too."_

Elise shuddered but tried to focus on the sounds of the sleeping castle.

" _One day I will be coming for you too."_

She was nearly down the main staircase when all of a sudden her foot slipped.

"Shit." Elise swore. Her leg had slid about ankle deep into the trick stair. She knew better than to tug on it or attempt to charm it. Her mind began racing. She was practically a sitting duck here and no one but a professor or prefect would be out at this hour to help her out of it.

Elise sank defeated to sit down on the step above the trick stair and ran her hands through her hair.

" _One day I will be coming for you too."_

Elise stifled a sob and tried to focus on what to do. Just because the help of another was the only known way to get out of the stair didn't mean it was the only way. Right? Elise began thinking of all the spells she knew that would definitely not help her to narrow down her options. Maybe if she could replicate the effects of someone else lifting her it would work. Elise pulled her wand from her robes.

" _Amplexus destruam_." Elise whispered, waving her wand like a lasso above her head. She felt a light squeeze around her middle, felt herself lift but the stair held firm. When the spell ended her leg got sucked in a few inches deeper and Elise cursed again. The stair had made it's way up to her shin. Elise could feel her toes tingle painfully.

"Looks like you've found yourself in quite a pickle." A voice said a few stairs above her.

Elise whipped her head around to find herself nose to nose with Sirius Black.

Elise groaned. "You've got to be kidding me."

Sirius chuckled and surveyed the damage. "How many times have you tried to get out?"

Elise sighed. "Only once. I only tried one spell."

Sirius nodded, stroking his chin. "How long ago?"

"Just now."

Sirius walked around to stand in front of her now, smiling wide but saying nothing.

Elise licked her lips anxiously but managed to pull off a glare.

They stared at each other in silence a moment.

"So, where are you off to at this late hour, Simon?" Sirius asked glancing at her leg as the stair pulled her down another inch when she tried to shift her weight.

Elise gasped but tried to relax, sitting down to attempt to take the weight off of it. "Would you please help me?" Elise asked grudgingly, she looked down at her leg and picked at a spot on the floor.

"What?" Sirius asked smugly.

"Please, help me." Elise said again, still not looking at him.

"Hmm. What's in it for me?" Sirius asked.

Elise looked up at him sharply, her brows knitting together. "You're kidding me."

"Maybe."

"Well, which is it? Are you or aren't you kidding?"

"Mmm, let's go with no."

"I'll owe you one."

Sirius laughed. "You've gotta be more specific than that, Simon."

"What do you want, Black?" Elise nearly growled, doing her best to keep her voice even.

"I want a favor. But not just any favor. The next time I call upon you for a favor, you have to do it. No questions. No lectures. No nothing. You just do."

Elise rolled her eyes. "Fine. Deal."

Sirius looked surprised. "Really?"

"Yes, really. I can't feel my toes. I agreed. Will you pull me out now?" Elise said annoyed.

"Just to be clear, you're asking me to touch you?"

"Black!" Elise exclaimed quietly. "Will you just get on with it?"

As she stood the stair took another inch of her leg. Sirius wrapped an arm around her waist and threw her arm over his shoulder but he paused. "Ready?"

In answer Elise glared and Sirius grinned. He gently lifted her and Elise's leg pulled free of the stair. Elise shook the leg a little as feeling began to return and began to walk down the stairs. Sirius quickly caught up with her and matched her stride.

"You never told me where you were going, you know."

Elise nodded and looked over at Sirius. "The Kitchens."

"What do you know! That's where I'm headed. Couldn't sleep?"

" _One day I will be coming for you too."_

"No. I couldn't." Elise took a deep, shuddering breath to steady her and ran a hand through her hair.

Sirius fixed her with a look of concern, something she'd never gotten from him before. "Why not?"

"Nightmares." Elise said simply as they rounded the corner, standing in front of the Kitchen's porthole. Elise reached up to tickle the pear, not daring another glance at Sirius.

"Nightmares." He repeated.

"Yeah. So, why are you up?" Elise asked, attempting to change the subject. She walked through the doorway and turned around to face him.

Sirius shrugged. "I was hungry."

Elise snorted a laugh.

"So, you want to talk about it?"

Elise crossed her arms over her chest. "About your appetite? No, thanks."

Sirius's brow furrowed and he cocked his head to the side, taking a few steps toward her. "Why are you avoiding this?"

Elise sighed and took a seat as a couple of House Elves entered the room.

" _One day I will be coming for you too."_

"What?" Elise asked, suddenly realizing she had been asked a question.

"I asked you what you wanted Lolly and Polly to get you." Sirius asked.

"Oh, just a tea. Thanks." Elise smiled at the house elves until they left.

Sirius made his way to a seat beside her.

"So, these nightmares."

Elise nodded and bit her lip. "It's nothing really. Just normal stuff. Falling off cliffs, being late for class, forgetting pants." Elise waved her hand.

"Uh huh." Sirius said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I see. Let's hear about the pants one first."

Elise glared and Sirius threw up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. How about instead of that you tell me why you won't tell me what actually happened."

Elise's face softened and she looked down at her hands. She opened her mouth to speak and then closed it again. "It's personal."

"I get that it's personal, Simon. But I can keep a good secret, really. Promise. I won't even tell James."

Elise rolled her eyes.

"I won't!"

Elise fixed him with a stare as she observed him. He seemed to be telling the truth. He at least had no intentions of telling anyone right now. However, that didn't mean he wouldn't change his mind later.

Elise shook her head and remained silent.

"I have nightmares about dying." Sirius said suddenly. "I don't really remember them except that I'm fighting desperately and then I just slip beyond the Veil."

Elise just stared at him as Sirius's eyes lost their focus. "That's not even the worst part. The worst part is that I wake up feeling like I've lost everything. Feeling like I was so close to something important but then I've lost it forever."

"Is that why you're up now?" Elise asked quietly.

Sirius shook his head. "No. But that was why I was up the last week when you caught Prongs and I down here."

Elise nodded and took a deep breath. She let it out as a sigh. "I dream that Fenrir Greyback is attacking my mother. All I hear is her screaming and being torn apart." Elise swallowed hard and stole a glance at Sirius. "And then he drops her to the floor and tells me that he'll come back for me."

"Wow." Sirius said.

"Yeah."

"How often?"

Elise bit her bottom lip. "For about three or four nights in a row every six months or so."

"Damn."

"Yeah."

The two fell silent.

"So, will you tell me the pants dream now?" Sirius asked, a smirk worming it's way onto his face.

Elise smirked too and rolled her eyes. "Not a chance."

* * *

A/E/N:

So, I liked this one. It's hella long but I thought it was fun. Let me know if you liked it too. Things you enjoyed, anything. Doesn't have to be a review, send me a message if it pleases your heart.


	7. Are you going to ask for your riddle?

A/N:

I don't own the Harry Potter franchise. I'm not JKR. The usual.

IMPORTANT THINGS: I have end notes that I'd like people to consider. I won't say it now. Read and enjoy the chapter but check out the questions at the bottom.

* * *

Elise sat that morning in the window seat of her dormitory with _The Daily Prophet_ in one hand and a steaming cup of tea in the other. She had opted out of going down to the Great Hall for breakfast, instead deciding that she wanted to spend her morning looking out over the newly turned red and gold trees outside. Lily was still mad at her and she found that she wasn't terribly interested in pretending to ignore the redhead's glares directed her way on such a beautiful morning.

She took a large gulp of her tea before opening her paper and scanning the Table of Contents. The front page was dedicated to a recent change in the head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office. Elise skimmed through the page but didn't recognize the wizard. His view points of the ways in which the wizarding world should be dealing with anything related to muggles left an unpleasant taste in her mouth. His quotes on the subject detailed his points on the filth of muggles and their unworthiness of wizard attentions. Unfortunately, that seemed to be a sentiment that was growing in the public sphere. It used to be that people kept their prejudices to themselves only becoming an issue with Pureblood families but ever since whispers of the political figure named Voldemort surfaced it was becoming more and more common for people to apply this view point to more areas of their lives.

Elise swallowed and turned the page. She flipped through, skimming articles here and there but she wasn't interested in who was in the lead for the Quidditch World Cup or a new potion to keep split ends under control. She continued in this fashion, terribly displeased with the outcome of the _Prophet_ that morning until she came across a small article towards the last page with the headline reading "Attacks on Muggles on the Rise!". Elise felt her blood run cold and she gripped the paper tighter, her tea forgotten on the window sill. There had been small, localized attacks on a few muggle organizations scattered throughout England. According to the article these organizations were filled with "wizard loving muggle scum" who were "anxious to steal our magic" but Elise knew that meant they were just muggles who read fantasy and loved the idea of magic. Those poor people probably didn't even know what hit them.

Or why.

The article determined that about five muggles had died while another twenty or so had been seriously injured. James Callaghan, the muggle Prime Minister, was looking into the attacks. He suspected hate crime but the article did not specify if he was aware what kind of hate was involved.

Still plagued with the events she had read about that morning Elise trudged off to class feeling out of sorts. These attacks on muggles were becoming more common and head positions at the Ministry were being given to more and more Pureblooded witches and wizards who believed in the inferiority of muggles and muggleborn. With a foot in both worlds, albeit the blood traitor side of the magical world, Elise knew enough about history to know that if this continued they would be looking some serious problems.

* * *

Elise sat down quietly in her regular seat in Charms and wrung her wrists anxiously. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't even notice Kim had slid into a seat beside her until she greeted her.

"Morning. Missed you at breakfast."

Elise looked up and released her hands, letting them fall into her lap. "Morning."

"Where were you?" Kim asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and pulling her belongings from her bag.

Elise shrugged. "I had tea in my dorm. I didn't feel like going down to the Great Hall much today."

Kim nodded in understanding. "You and Lily still having a row?"

Elise sighed and looked at her friend sadly. "Yeah. She won't even talk to me right now."

"She'll come round. Give her a few more days and then go and talk to her again. I'll put in a good word for you the best I can but she doesn't even want to talk about it. According to Dorcas, Lily refuses to acknowledge it at all since Monday." Kim stuck the end of her quill into her mouth and glanced down at the parchment she had set in front of her. "What did you say for number four?"

"Non-verbal." Elise said easily without looking at her own answers. "I suppose you're right."

Kim scratched down the answer her blonde, Ravenclaw had given her and then looked back up at her. "But that's not all that's bothering you, is it?"

Elise stilled. "Have you read the papers lately?"

Kim shook her head. "You know me. I mostly stick to the gossip rags. Why? What's going on in that big, scary world out there?"

Elise gulped and began wringing her hands again, Kim noticed immediately. She hadn't seen Elise like this since Lily and Kim had gone to visit Elise over the summer during one of her mother's episodes.

"They're killing muggles." Elise whispered, leaning forward. Kim looked at her friend's face and was a little frightened to see the amount of worry shadowed behind her icy blue eyes.

"Who? Voldywort?"

"Voldemort." Elise corrected, nodding.

Kim waved her hand. "I don't think it's much to worry about. He's just a political fad. He'll die out. There's no way the Ministry of Magic or the Minister, for that matter, will let that continue."

Elise was shaking her head and looking down to her lap. "I don't think that's what this is. The prejudice against muggles and muggleborns is deep rooted. He's playing on some of the oldest fears that wizards have. He's… uniting people by this fear and this hate. I…" Elise paused as the professor walked swiftly through the door and began greeting students. "I don't think this is going away any time soon. I fear that this is going to get worse before it gets better."

Kim said nothing, her unfinished Charms homework forgotten. "What do you mean?" She whispered, leaning closer as the lesson began.

"I mean," Elise sighed. "That if wizarding and muggle histories prove to be any indicators that we may have a war on our hands."

Kim's eyes widened slightly. "You don't think-"

"Ladies!"

Both girls flinched and turned their eyes upon Professor Flitwick.

"Sorry, Professor." They said embarrassed together.

He nodded. "Please wait to continue your conversation until after my lecture has concluded. Thank you."

Elise had only been taking notes a few minutes when a bit of extra parchment slid into her line of vision. She glanced quickly at Kim, who was back to taking notes, and then at Flitwick who was on the other side of the room collecting the homework.

 _So, what else?_

Elise's eyebrows knit together in confusion as she scratched back a reply. _What?_

 _What else is bothering you? I know that's not all._

Elise bit her lip and snuck a quick glare at Kim before replying. _Nothing. That's it._

 _Out with it._

Elise sighed. _I talked to Black about my nightmares last night._

"What!?" Kim exclaimed upon reading this last note.

"Although, I appreciate your enthusiasm for Charms, Ms. Taylor, in the future please raise your hand if you have a question. I was just saying that the wand waving technique employed for a particular charm is just as important as the incantation itself."

Kim blushed and nodded. "Thank you, professor."

Flitwick nodded and continued.

 _You talked to Sirius bloody Black about your nightmares?!_

Elise sent another glare Kim's way. _Yes. I didn't intend to but… it sort of just happened._

 _Damn._

 _I know._

* * *

"So, I'm thinking that I should set up a decoy prank. You know, so she'll let her guard down." Sirius was saying with a mouth full of food. He took a large drink of water from the goblet in front of him and glanced between his mates.

Remus was shaking his head in disapproval. "I don't think you should go through with it, Padfoot. You should just let it go."

"Let it go? Moony! That hag bewitched a smile to my face! Actions such as those deserve punishment! I want justice!" Sirius exclaimed, slamming his goblet down onto the table.

James snickered beside him but said nothing.

"So, what do we think? Decoy prank? Yay or nay? Wormtail, thoughts?"

Peter shook his head hurriedly, looking down at the table. "I still find glitter in my bed sheets, Padfoot. I don't think you should keep messing with her."

Remus nodded in agreement. "Things are only going to escalate, mate."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Thanks, _mum_. I need a vote from the grown ups here. You know, the one's whose balls _have_ dropped."

Remus grunted. "This is not going to end well."

Sirius ignored him. "Peter, what do you think? I was thinking about bewitching her ink pot or something to.."

"Don't!" Peter exclaimed, interrupting the wizard. "I don't want to know." He said and hurriedly stood up, knocking the table with his knee. The boy winced but successfully removed himself from the table and strode out of the Hall quickly.

The remaining three Marauders looked after him as he went, puzzled looks on their faces.

"What was that about?" James asked. "He can't be upset about plotting a prank."

Remus shook his head in agreement.

"You know, he's been acting odd since the train. You think he's alright?" Sirius said, forgetting about his plans for revenge momentarily.

James shrugged. "He's probably fine. Remember when he was trying to ask Charity Burbage to Hogsmeade? Maybe there's just a new bird?"

"Maybe." Sirius said skeptically. "He did mention being worried about classes the other day."

"Did he?" Remus asked, fork poised over his plate. "Maybe I'll invite him to do homework with me this weekend."

"That's an idea." James nodded. "You know, I could stand to do a bit of work. How about it, Padfoot."

Sirius pulled a look of disgust. "You want me to do homework before it's due?"

* * *

Peter was walking swiftly out of the Great Hall and toward the Main Staircase. He didn't know where he was going to go but he needed to get away from his friends. His friends. He couldn't rat out his friends, pun unintended. But… the Slytherins would pummel him if he didn't. Maybe if he could just-

"Pettigrew." A smooth voice called out after him and he froze. "Why are you walking so fast, Pettigrew?"

Peter turned around slowly, fully aware of the voice that was calling him.

Peter sighed, letting his arms hang limply at his sides. "What do you want?"

"We want a chat, Pettigrew." Alecto said simply, stepping forward and out of the shadows. Peter couldn't see Amycus but suspected he wasn't too far. "Walk with me."

Alecto looped her arm in Peter's and began to walk, dragging him along with her. She looked over her shoulder a moment before returning her attentions to Peter.

"Now, don't be so nervous. This question is easy. We think we know already but we'd like to confirm your little group's opinions of muggles and blood status."

* * *

Elise sat quietly in her normal seat in Transfiguration, just as she had for Charms. She had rather hoped that Lily might sit beside her but she knew better than to believe.

She heard rather than saw Lily come into class as she sat two rows back, chatting pointlessly with Dorcas. James was to be heard in the background. He'd been making extra efforts to suck up lately, Elise noted. Quite different from his normal patterns. Elise sighed and rubbed her temples, pulling her books and supplies from her bag, resigning herself to the idea of a quiet class.

"Alright, there?" A boy took a seat to her left. Elise lifted her eyes from her desk to see Sirius Black.

"Oh, yeah. Peachy. You?" She forced herself to smile.

"Peachy, eh?" Said a voice to her right and Elise twisted around to find Remus Lupin. She found her smile coming more naturally now.

"That's what I said."

"Mm, you lie, Simon." Sirius said next to her, Elise noted that all he had brought with him today was a sad, lonely piece of parchment.

"I am not." Elise defended, eyebrows knitting together in annoyance. "It's just-"

"Evans, yes, yes we know all about that." Sirius said hurriedly.

Elise made a face and rolled her eyes.

"She's coming round. Prongs has been getting to her. I suspect things will work out before the first Quidditch match of the season." Sirius was saying, fanning himself with his parchment.

"Great. Remind me to thank him later." Elise said, turning her attention back to her papers in front of them. Their research project topics were do today.

"So, what are you doing your project on, Simon?" Sirius asked, leaning far over, his hair dangling over the parchment.

Elise scoffed and pushed him back. "Animagi."

"Oooh, really? That's a good topic choice. I'm going with transfiguring different states of being like solid to liquid."

"Hey!" Remus whined. "That's my topic!"

Elise rolled her eyes and didn't respond.

"Padfoot, you know that's what I'm doing. Don't knick my topic, you prat. I thought you had your own?"

"Well, yes but it's quite boring, isn't it? I mean who cares about the different methods for causing transfiguration?"

Elise picked up her quill and dipped it into her ink bottle. She pulled her parchment toward her and began to neatly write her name at the top when she realized that what she was intending to write was not what appeared at the top of the page.

"Mrs. Elise Black. Well, Simon, I had no idea how you felt about me but maybe I-"

Elise hit him hard on the shoulder. "Ha. Ha. Alright, which is it? The quill or the ink?"

Sirius snickered as Elise siphoned the still wet ink from the page. "Both."

Elise rolled her eyes. "Good one, Black. Brilliant." She pushed her quill and ink well onto Sirius's desk and turned to Remus. "Any chance you have spares I could borrow?"

* * *

The pair had been walking rather quietly on their way to Ancient Runes that afternoon. Even though neither of the wizards were particularly loud it was unusual for them not to speak during their walk to class. Elise pondered this a moment before realizing that it was because Remus was waiting for her to talk about the other issues that plagued her mind.

"Remus, you read the paper's don't you?" Elise asked.

The boy beside her nodded. "I do."

Elise swallowed but continued. "Does any of it strike you as a bit… unsettling?"

Remus nodded again and cast a glance her way. "You're talking about the attacks on muggles."

"And the people who have been taking over at the Ministry."

"Yes, this situation we find ourselves living in is not very… well, it's quite bad."

"It is. Kim didn't seem terribly worried but you know Kimberly. I just… what can we do?"

Remus shrugged. "I think the best we can do for now is keep our eyes out. Keep ourselves informed."

Elise wrinkled her nose. "And for just how long do you think we are going to be able to get the truth from _The Prophet_? I'm thinking about having a muggle paper mailed to me here too."

"That's an excellent idea, I think. You'll let me borrow it, yeah?" Remus asked, hopefully.

Elise almost laughed. "Of course, Remus. My reading materials are your reading materials." She grew serious again. "But, if these people get to do what they want to do in the Ministry, Remus, all of our friends will be in danger. Anyone I care about either has muggle parents, is a blood traitor, or is otherwise tainted" Elise rolled her eyes. "In the eyes of these people. What will we do?"

Remus stopped walking then and turned to face Elise. He bit his lip anxiously but kept his stare even. "We'll do what we have to, Elise."

* * *

It had taken him nearly a week but he was finally ready. Admittedly, he had to do a bit more studying than he would have normally liked to do but he finally figured out how he was going to get Simon back.

He'd been following her around most of the day, waiting for the opportune moment and then it finally came.

* * *

"Hey, Elise!" The girl heard behind her on her way out of Ancient Runes.

Elise smiled to see it was Ian Livic. She waited for him to catch up to her before returning the greeting.

"Hi, Ian. You look well.'

"As do you." He replied evenly with a sweet smile playing about his mouth. "I was wondering if you were doing anything tonight. I'm totally falling behind in Potions and wondered if you wanted to work on the homework with me after dinner?"

Elise allowed her smile to widen a tad as she nodded. "Sure. I would love that. I was actually thinking about finding someone to work on it with me so," but she paused. She'd felt an odd, chilly draft come over her and shivered. "Did you feel that?" Elise asked, glancing about for a source of the unusual wind.

"Feel what?" Ian asked, eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"That draft, that cold draft." Elise said, hugging her arms, continuing to scan the busy hallway until her eyes settled on Sirius Black.

"Well, shit." She hissed, locking her eyes on him.

"What?" Ian asked, not understanding. He turned to look where she was staring. Sirius Black was grinning widely and waving enthusiastically.

"What is that bugger up to…" Elise felt a drop of water fall on her nose, quickly followed by another on her cheek. Elise looked back up to Ian, wiping at her face.

"Umm, Elise…" Ian began pointing above her head as she felt the drops begin to fall more steadily. Hesitantly she looked up to be met with a small, dark, angry looking storm cloud. And with that it began to downpour.

"Ugh!" Elise cried taking a step back to find no relief from the rain. "That son of a bitch!" She hissed through her teeth. Her clothes quickly soaked through, her hair plastered to her face and through her personal rainstorm she could see Sirius Black laughing his smug ass off. If she wasn't already cold she would have gone bright red in the face with fury. She looked down and realized that her storm was causing a bit of a river down the hallway and simultaneously noticed that her books were getting soaked in her bag.

She quickly tossed the strap of her bag from her shoulder and shoved her bag into Ian's hands. "I'll be right back."

Elise stormed over to Sirius as students jumped out of her way, shielding their faces from her showers.

"What the bloody hell is this, Black?!" Elise screamed.

He was grinning from ear to ear as she glared at him.

"Payback, Simon."

Elise pulled her wand from her robes and pointed it above her. " _Meteoloji Solis_." She muttered.

Sirius began to laugh again as nothing happened. "Want to know how to get rid of it?"

"Obviously." Elise grit through her teeth as she trained her wand on him.

"It's quite simple."

"Just tell me what it is!" Elise exclaimed, pushing her soaking hair out of her face.

"You just have to tell me something." Sirius grinned, his eyes glinting mischievously.

"What…?" Elise asked tentatively, dropping her wand arm. She glanced about her to find that most of her Ancient Runes class, minus Remus, as well as many other students were crowded in the hallway to watch the scene unfold. Ian was standing by the side, dutifully holding Elise's soggy book bag.

"Just tell me you want to go to Hogsmeade with me."

Elise just stared at him. "Are you bloody serious?!"

"That's my name. Don't wear it out. So, how about it, Simon?" Sirius chuckled at his own joke.

Her mouth dropped open and she continued to stare at him, a slow but steady sneer beginning to spread across her face. Her eyebrows knit together and her lips clamped down into a thin, menacing line.

"Not even if you were the last sodding boy in Hogwarts School, Sirius Black." Elise said coldly. "Eat shit."

And with that she turned on her heel and stomped away, spraying nearby students who had been standing too close as she passed.

* * *

Since Sirius had set the storm on her Elise had taken to the girl's room to try and get rid of it as to not flood the school in the process. The damn thing followed her everywhere and even ducked under the umbrella she had conjured. Nearly forty-five minutes in and she still couldn't get the storm cloud to disperse or at least move on. She was chilled to the bone and growing increasingly cranky.

She sank defeated onto the floor and leaned her head back against the wall, letting the cold water stream over her face. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

"Elise?" Asked a tentative voice. "Are you in there? Is, erm, anyone else in there?"

Without opening her eyes or moving she replied, "Yes, I'm here. No, no one else is. Remus, is that you?"

She heard bathroom door open and close and then felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes to seem Remus's slightly concerned face hovering over her own.

"You're going to get soaking wet standing that close to me." She warned him, gesturing for him to take a step back.

"And you're going to get sick. Did Sirius do this to you?"

"Of course, the bastard." Elise replied calmly. She'd long since moved past being mad at him and had settled on silent and calm fury. "Can you help me get rid of it? I've tried everything I can think of. I tried reducing it, transporting it, shrinking it, sending it outside, separating it… I even tried to just heat up the water but it won't respond to _anything_ and I am NOT telling that bastard that I will go to Hogsmeade with him." Elise began muttering other curses about Black under her breathe until Remus stopped her.

"You have to tell him you want to go to Hogsmeade with him for it to go away?"

"Yes, the bloody bastard." Elise sniffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Can you believe him?"

Remus sighed. "Unfortunately, I can. So, I take it you told him no?"

Elise nodded. "I told him to 'Eat shit'."

Remus chuckled. "Well, have you tried it in here? I promise I won't tell."

"I did." Elise said sadly. "Apparently, it only works if he's present."

"Hmm." Remus hummed thoughtfully. "How long have you had it?"

Elise shrugged. "Nearly an hour now."

"And it hasn't changed at all?"

"Nope."

"How long since the last time you tried charming it?"

"Maybe about five minutes."

Remus hummed again and sat down beside her. "Let's give it a few more minutes to maybe die out on it's own and if that doesn't work then we'll take you down to the hospital wing."

Elise shook her head. "I'm willing to see if it will disperse on it's own but I'm not walking through the school like this."

"Elise, let your pride go. You're going to get sick if you stay cold and wet for much longer." Remus reasoned.

Elise shrugged. "So? That's better than giving Black the satisfaction of knowing he out smarted me."

"So, I heard you've got a hot date with Ian tonight." Remus commented, waggling his eyebrows. "You can't go on a date with your rain cloud."

Elise chuckled softly. "I wouldn't call it a date. We're just doing homework, Remus."

"Sounds like my kind of date."

She chuckled again. "So, it is. You may have had a point about waiting it out. The rain feels softer now."

"Elise?"

"Yes, Remus?"

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

The boy beside her nodded but said, "I think you're still lying."

"I'm not. I'm fine. His pranks always make me mad. That's why he does them. To make me mad."

Remus sighed. "Yes, you always get mad but, Elise, I've never seen you this _sad_ because of them."

"I'm not sad. I'm just tired of being wet and cold."

Remus nodded. "Okay." The two fell silent. When the rain finally died and the cloud disappeared Remus escorted Elise back up to the Ravenclaw Tower to change and get warm before dinner.

* * *

Much like the rain cloud that had plagued her that afternoon she felt a similar weight in her heart. She was thinking about what Remus had said about her being sad. Maybe he was right. Maybe she was sad. She barely touched her dinner, choosing to push her food around with a fork instead of eating most of it. She wasn't even mad at Sirius anymore but _something_ was eating at her.

"So, are we still on for tonight?" A voice spoke in front of her and she looked up to see Ian standing bashfully on the other side of the table.

Elise's face brightened considerably. "Absolutely. I'll meet you in about thirty minutes? I study at the table in the far back on the left hand side, across from the restricted section."

Ian nodded. "I know where you study, Elise." He said with a wink.

Elise felt her heart warm considerably and a smirk tugged at her mouth.

"Before I forget." Ian said suddenly and plopped her bag onto the table. "I did my best to dry your books but they were surprisingly soaked through. They should be fine now though."

Elise smiled brighter still. She had entirely forgotten about her bag. "Thank you."

* * *

Sirius had yet to take his eyes off of Elise since she sat down for dinner. His overarching plan had backfired spectacularly, even though his little storm cloud had gone off without a hitch.

The way everything panned out was not how he thought that would go.

She'd looked almost sad for most of dinner. She was sitting alone without her normal book or newspaper in her hands. She merely pushed around her food and chewed on her lip.

"I told you not to." Remus sighed as he watched his friend watch his other friend.

"Yah, yah, yah, Moony. You were right and I was wrong." Sirius grumbled, finally looking away from her. "Is she furious with me?"

Remus shook his head. "I think she's upset that you tried to coerce her into doing something that she probably would have done voluntarily, not that she'll admit that. You humiliated her in public. You froze that poor girl to the bone. You probably could have just asked her."

Sirius nodded and took a gulp of pumpkin juice, his gaze lifting back to Elise who was taking a tentative bite of potatoes.

"I should probably go talk to her, eh?"

Remus nodded. "Probably."

Sirius pushed himself up to stand and froze.

Pinprick was talking to her now. Sirius watched as a smile and a blush graced Elise's cheeks as Ian spoke to her and dropped her bag on the table. Sirius watched her nod enthusiastically and then sigh as Pinprick walked away. Sirius felt his jaw clench and he sat back down.

"What? You're giving up because of Pinprick Livic, now?" James asked.

"Our Padfoot, giving up?!" Peter piped up. "Say it isn't so!"

"Shut up, Wormtail." Sirius snapped nastily and returned to his food.

* * *

Elise walked over to her normal table in the library to find that Ian was already sitting there with his books spread out across the table.

"Ello." He said with a smile when he noticed her presence.

"Ello." Elise greeted, setting her bag on the table.

The pair worked in silence for awhile before Ian broke the silence to ask a question about their assignment.

"I don't understand what difference it makes that you cut the root into twelve pieces versus eleven or thirteen." Ian was saying.

Elise giggled and turned the page of the book he was reading and pointed at a passage. "You take Arithmancy, right? The number twelve represents reincarnation and the mastery of an education at every level. In a potion meant to aid the drinker with their ability to retain information long term, which this potion is, the number twelve is a crucial component."

Ian nodded and jotted some notes next to the passage Elise had pointed out and she cringed, watching him write in his book.

"And that number impacts the potion, how?" Ian asked, looking up from his book at her.

Elise fought not to roll her eyes, something she would have done if she had been with anyone else. "Because eleven is for vision and balance and thirteen is for upheaval, neither are helpful in the aims of this potion and would just muddy the objective of the brew."

Ian nodded again and took down more notes. Elise sighed and turned back to her own book.

"So, I know that you're brilliant at potions but I actually didn't ask for your help tonight solely for that reason." Ian confessed when he had finished jotting down his notes.

"No?" Elise lifted an eyebrow quizzically, even though she was fairly certain she knew exactly where he was going with this.

Ian chuckled. "No." He flicked his bangs out of his eyes and leaned in a bit closer. "I was actually hoping to convince you to go out on a date with me."

"Really?" Elise asked. "Even after the scene with Black today?"

Ian waved a hand. "Black is an ass." He shrugged. "Anyway, I know it's a bit cold outside these days but I wondered if you might want to go on a broom ride with me."

Elise smiled. "I'd love to."

Ian's smile brightened. "You know, it's only eight o'clock. We could go now, if you like?"

* * *

Sirius was glaring at the map as he watched Elise's dot move from the library with Ian's out onto the school grounds.

"Padfoot, mate. You need to relax. She won't stay with him long. It won't last." James was saying as he eyed his friend in the corner of the room.

"And how do you know that?" Sirius replied moodily.

"Because," drawled Remus. "He's not smart enough to keep her attention."

Sirius's head snapped up from the map.

"She'll grow bored of him soon enough, mate. Just be patient and don't hex her in the meantime."

* * *

Elise was holding tightly to Ian's robes. For all the lies she told the Marauders, she rarely used a broom. The sensations were all the same, the way the wind felt over her body, the thrill of soaring through the air but the means of achieving those feelings was much different.

"Doing okay?" Ian was asking her.

Elise nodded, realizing he couldn't see her added. "Yes, I'm having a good time. It's just a little scary to not be in control."

She felt Ian chuckle in front of her and began to drift toward the ground. When he got close enough, Ian gracefully dismounted and gestured for her to scoot up.

"You don't mean for me to fly, do you?" Elise asked, slightly confused but Ian nodded enthusiastically.

Elise smiled and slid farther up the broom while Ian tucked in behind her. She pushed off the ground hard and had them soaring far faster than Ian had been. She felt his arms wrap tighter around her middle and she grinned, in spite of herself. She could only go as fast as the broom allowed, unlike when she flew herself, but she pushed the broom to increase. Go higher. Faster.

Ian was mumbling something in her ear but she ignored him and continued on. She flew them high above the castle, maybe even a little too high, but she didn't much care.

"Elise!"

Elise turned her head slightly to hear the boy seated behind her better.

"Do you think we could slow down a bit?"

Elise chuckled softly but coaxed the broom to slow down some as they flew over the Black Lake. After a few more minutes she guided them back down to the ground. She hadn't realized before but she was smiling wide and brightly.

"Thanks for letting me fly." Elise said, slightly breathless. "I haven't flown a broom in a long time."

Ian was ruffling his hair. "You would never guess. I can't believe you don't play for the Ravenclaw team. You would certainly kick the Slytherin Seeker's ass. I would know, being Team Captain and all."

Elise smirked. She probably would make a fair Seeker but she shrugged. "School is more important to me."

Ian nodded and they began to head back up toward the castle. "Yeah, I can see that. You're one of the top of our year. But there's nothing wrong with a little fun every once in awhile."

Elise laughed at that.

"What?" Ian asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"If you'd seen my detention track record you would know that I have plenty of fun."

Ian laughed. "Get caught in a lot of broom cupboards, do you?"

Elise went scarlet. "No! Why does everyone think that's why I get detention?" Elise thought back vaguely to when Sirius had also suspected her of getting caught in cupboards during their first detention.

Ian was shrugging. "Because you're a bird and that's what birds get in trouble for."

The witch's lips twitched and she folded her arms over her chest.

Realizing his mistake Ian quickly attempted to back pedal. "I.. that's not what I… I mean…"

Elise rolled her eyes and stopped him as they reentered the castle. "I know what you meant."

"No, no!" He continued to push. "I just meant that blokes get busted doing everything but birds can get away with about anything _except_ that."

"Uh huh."

Ian sighed, exasperated. "Can we please forget that I just humiliated myself?"

Elise chuckled dryly. "Sure."

Ian's face brightened. "Great. Mind if I walk you up to Ravenclaw Tower?"

Elise shook her head. "Please."

They began making their way up the stairs slowly and leisurely. Elise glanced at the trick stair and made sure to step over it this time.

"I got stuck in that stair at least fifteen times my first year here." Ian commented, noticing Elise's glance.

The girl laughed. "Fifteen times!?"

Ian laughed too and shook his head, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I just couldn't get the hang of it. I kept forgetting. There was one time in particular where my shite mates refused to pull me out too. I had to beg some older Hufflepuff girl to take pity on me and help me out so I didn't miss class."

They laughed together a moment at that. Elise was pretty sure that she remembered that day. Sweet, little Ian attempting to wave down anyone who would look his way until the Hufflepuff girl stopped to help him.

"What about you? Ever get caught in the stair?"

Elise sighed, embarrassed. "Just last night, actually."

Ian's eyes widened.

"I was out of bed after hours, going down to the kitchens to get some tea and I just…" Elise paused. "I was distracted thinking about something else and before I knew it," she snapped her fingers. "So, there I was, stranded in the trick stair at one o'clock in the morning."

"What?" Ian exclaimed, chuckling. "So, what did you do?"

Elise shook her head. "I was afraid I was going to just have to wait it out but Black, actually came to my rescue."

Elise didn't miss Ian tense beside her but decided to push forward. "The prat gave me such a hard time… he eventually helped me out but by the end of it I was wishing that a professor had come by to give me detention for being out instead." She laughed lightly and noticed Ian do the same, but his smile didn't quite reach his eyes anymore.

They stopped in front of the eagle door knocker of Ravenclaw Tower and glanced at each other.

"So." Ian said and Elise smiled lightly at his awkwardness.

"So?" She asked.

"So, I uh had a good time. We should do more homework together, sometime."

Elise nodded. "Or, you know, something other than homework."

Ian smirked. "Yeah, maybe." He took a step closer to her and lifted his hand to her hair a moment before resting it on her cheek. Elise looked up into his bright hazel eyes and found herself thinking about a pair of grey ones she had encountered like this not too long ago. Ian leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to hers. His mouth was soft and warm, comforting even. Elise found herself reciprocating pressure and then it was gone. He'd pulled back, starring hazel eyes into blue.

"Was that okay?" He asked tentatively.

Elise nodded shyly and pressed onto her tiptoes to kiss him again. She gently ran a hand through his hair and pulled away, taking a step back. "See you later?" She asked.

Ian nodded with a smile and turned away to walk down the stairs of the tower. "Yeah. See you later, Elise."

"So, are you going to stand out there all day or are you going to ask for your riddle?"

* * *

End of the Chapter Notes!

I have a couple of things that are going to be listed in order of their importance. So, I get that you don't wanna hang around here in the notes longer than you have to so just deal with what you can.

1\. I've started writing the bits with Elise's parents (because it's super fun and they're going to be great chapters). Elise's father is French (which you should know by now) would you, as the reader, prefer that I A. Don't put any subtitles and just let y'all figure it out, B. Put the translation in the end notes or C. Just put the translations in parentheses behind the sentences? Say what you like in a review or message, whichever you prefer. Or if you don't care don't say anything and I'll do what I want.

2\. I love Elise's parents and I'm totally thinking about writing a little baby short story on how they met and got married. It'll be adorable. (I actually already started it but I'm not sure if I want to publish it now or wait until it's all done or what. We'll see). Anyway, I just thought I'd ask about general interest.

Okay, rant over. Enjoy your life! :)


	8. For me to be safe?

A/N:

I don't own HP, I'm not JKR. This is just for fun.

Now that's done. I asked after the last chapter how people would prefer I write foreign language sections. Let me know if you have a preference or else I'm just gonna do it my way. Thanks!

Please enjoy!

* * *

Elise was sitting cozily in one of the many windowsills to be found leading up to Ravenclaw Tower. She had been leaning back against the stone with her legs out straight before her, her eyebrows furrowed as her eyes flew down the page of the book resting against her knees. Sirius had taken a moment to admire her. Her wavy, golden locks were tucked haphazardly behind her ears and her bottom lip was snagged between her teeth. Her fingers drummed against her thigh tunelessly, anxiously, he realized. He found himself wondering what book it was she was reading that was causing her to sit this way.

"Hey, Simon."

Elise looked up from the book she was reading and immediately glared, the good mood she'd been put in with the time she spent reading for pleasure immediately soured by his presence. She released her lip from her teeth to respond. "Black." Her fingers went still but rigid and the crease between her eyebrows deepened.

"Listen, could I talk to you for a minute?" Sirius asked, giving his face a quick rub while avoiding her gaze, one hand landing on the back of his neck in a posture most people would consider sheepish. Elise immediately became suspicious and closed the book around her fingers to keep her place.

"You can talk. I haven't decided if I'll listen just yet." Elise said coolly. So far he seemed to be genuine but Elise had seen him lie and manipulate his way out of many a disagreement and punishment. She would not be fooled by well calculated and performed body language and tone.

"I wanted to talk to you about yesterday." Sirius took a seat in the windowsill beside her and he noticed when she sat up straighter and swung her legs off the sill to take a subtle scoot down farther away from him.

"I assumed. Go on." She said curtly, fixing him with an unreadable look.

"I just wanted to say I was sorry."

"Sorry." She repeated, her eyes narrowing. Her lips quirked as she thought the idea of an apology from Sirius Black. Again, she thought about all of the times she'd seen Sirius apologize to get out of trouble, the front he put up. She wasn't yet sold.

"Yeah, er, I'm sorry."

Elise nodded, not taking her eyes off of him. "For what?" Her tongue ran swiftly across her teeth as she tried to read him.

Sirius sighed, unhappily. She was going to make this difficult. He should have known walking into this that he couldn't slide by on his usual act. He had to mean it. "I'm sorry for trying to force you to go to Hogsmeade with me." He said finally, holding her gaze.

The blonde before him pursed her lips. "Is that all?"

Is that all?! Dammit... Should that be all? Should there be more? Sirius searched his mind frantically for a moment before responding. "Uh, no."

"Okay."

"Actually, I, uh, I'm sorry for the storm cloud too."

"No, you aren't." Elise shot back with a sneer and opened her book again with an aggressive flick. She skimmed the page attempting to find her place.

"Okay, okay." Sirius swiped the book from her hands and she gasped, startled. He grinned as her mouth went slack before setting into a grim line. He fought back a chuckle. "I'm not sorry for that. I'm actually really proud. I did research and everything."

Elise scowled. "Give me my book back."

"But I am sorry." He had successfully swallowed back his laughter but his smirk could not be fought.

"Okay. Great. Thanks. Book, please." Elise held her hand out expectantly, her eyes flicking between her open palm and Sirius's grinning face.

"Simon, please. Just… understand." He tucked her book behind his back and her scowl darkened.

"Understand what, Black?" She leaned forward and struck her hand forward to pluck it from his fingers but Sirius easily leaned back away from her to evade her reach.

"I didn't mean… I…" Sirius stuttered, unsure how he lost control of the conversation so thoroughly. He wasn't used to working this hard to be forgiven. He stood, holding the book behind his back and positioned himself in front of her. "I just… I didn't mean to embarrass you in front of your class, is all. I was just trying to annoy you, not make you actually mad or upset."

And I wasn't asking you to go to Hogsmeade to humiliate you he thought to himself.

"So, I'm sorry."

Elise nodded. "Apology accepted. Now, give me my book, Black."

Silently, Sirius obliged and handed her the book back. He glanced at the cover as her fingers plucked it from his grasp.

"Carrie" by Stephen King. He didn't recognize the bloke and made a note to ask her about it at another time.

Her eyebrows rose in surprise as their hands brushed lightly over the cover. Sirius saw her blush faintly as she looked down to where his hand had been.

"Thanks." She said quietly, slowly looking back up at him with a puzzled look on her face, her lips quirking to one corner of her mouth.

"Sorry, again." Sirius said, taking a step back from her with a bow and then he he turned to leave.

"Black."

He turned back slightly, looking at the girl over his shoulder with his black hair in his eyes. "Simon?"

"Be prepared for my retaliation." Elise said fighting hard to keep the smirk off her face. Sirius took notice of the slight twerk of the corners of her mouth and he too smirked, knowing she had, for the most part, forgiven him.

"Bring it on, Simon." He turned to leave again but only got a few steps in before Elise yelled after him again.

"And stop stalking me on that map of yours, Black. I know that's how you found me today."

Sirius snickered but kept walking.

Fat chance.

* * *

Kim paced back and forth in front of the Fat Lady's Portrait, occasionally glancing up to make sure no one was exiting but no one had. No one had entered either, much to Kim's annoyance.

Kim glanced down at the yellow and black badger sewn to her robes. Her parents had been so proud to discover that their daughter had been sorted into a House founded on justice, patience and loyalty. Despite the rest of the school's insistence that Hufflepuffs were 'wimpy and soft', Kim was proud to call herself one. She was proud to represent kindness, fairness, and hard work and she was proud to say that she felt she exhibited those traits fiercely. She would do anything for her friends and she was often found to be the deciding vote on any disagreement she and her friends had. She'd always loved her House but at this moment she wished she was a Gryffindor, if only to go up to the dormitory and yank Lily out of it so she would come talk to her.

To put her Hufflepuff attributes to good use.

"Ahah! James! Peter!" Kim exclaimed, catching the boys on their way into the Common Room. She grabbed onto the crooks of their elbows to halt their progress.

"Uh, Hi, Kim." James said, eyeing her hand on his arm. "Can we help you with something?"

Without letting go, she steered them toward her. "Could you send Lily out here for me? I need to talk to her and I know she's up there."

Peter nodded, also eyeing her grip on his arm while James was shaking his head. James glared at Peter until he stopped nodding like a bobblehead and Kim did not miss the exchange.

"Please? It's important." Kim begged, her eyes darting between the two boys in front of her.

James crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back on his heels.

Kim sighed and rolled her eyes. "Like you don't know what it's about. She's being stubborn and it's making it hard to be friends with the two of them right now. So." Kim pouted.

"Oh, I dunno Kimmy…" James trailed off, his eyes wandering high.

"Oh, come on. I know you lot know how to get up to the Girl's Dormitory. Just, please? Go tell her I'm down here for her. I'll buy you a butterbeer in Hogsmeade when we go in a few weeks."

James had begun to walk away but froze about a foot away from the Fat Lady's portrait at the mention of butterbeer. He spun around and threw a hand through his hair, his eyes gazing heavenward. Peter nearly ran into him but managed to sidestep his mate's dramatic change in direction. The Fat Lady snickered behind her hands as she observed the students below her.

"Alright. We'll do it."

"We will?" Peter questioned, glancing back at the Fat Lady and then to James.

"You will?" Kim's face brightened.

James nodded and spun back around. "Poppycock."

The Fat Lady swung open for them and Kim watched as the boys disappeared. She tapped her foot gently on the ground as she waited, listening to the soft clicks her tapping made on the floor and the haunting echo that bounced down the corridor.

She glanced at her watch and then back up to the Portrait as it fell open.

"Heya, Kimmy. James said you were looking for me?" Lily said cheerfully, climbing out of the Common Room and walking toward her friend.

"Yeah, I was. Do you have a minute? I was hoping we could go sit in the courtyard and talk about some things."

Lily noticeably stiffened but Kim waved a hand. "Relax, Lily."

Lily didn't look convinced but she followed her friend down the hallway toward the courtyard anyway. They didn't say much as they went, keeping it casual and light. Lily mentioned something about Dorcas being an awful roommate because of her snoring in the colder months. Kim gushed about her pen pal but the vibe between the two witches noticeably changed as they reached a place to sit.

"Lily why are you still ignoring Elise?" Kim asked quietly as she tugged her scarf around her throat.

Lily looked away from her hand and brushed a sheet of her fiery hair over her shoulder with a bit more aggression than was necessary. "I'm still mad at her."

Kim rolled her eyes but rested a hand on the Gryffindor's shoulder. "No, you aren't. Not really. You made your point. Just talk to her."

Lily glanced at her friend's hand once before staring in front of her again. "I'm scared she's going to hurt herself. I've been telling her for years that flying at night is dangerous and she just keeps doing it. This is the only way she'll listen to me."

Kim sighed and removed her hand, letting it fall to her lap instead. "But Lily…"

"Don't 'but Lily' me, Kim." Lily snapped, huffing slightly. "You always take her side."

Kim narrowed her eyes and started again. "Lily, she needs us and don't be that way. I do not always take her side. She's been having nightmares all week. That's why she was out the other night. Because she was dreaming about-"

Lily cut her friend off again. "I know what she dreams about."

Kim fixed Lily with a disapproving look. "Then you know why she might need to get out a bit. Stretch her wings, as it were." Kim smiled lightly at her own joke.

Lily sighed and looked down at her hands a moment before finally meeting Kim's gaze. "I just don't understand why she can't just do something in the safety of her dorm like a normal person. Instead she just goes flying around the castle at night like Potter or Black!"

"Because she isn't normal." Kim responded quietly. Maybe Lily needed more time than Kim had originally thought. "You know what might help her stop putting herself in danger? If you talked to her and supported her during the hard times, Lily."

Lily bit her lip hard, playing with a lock of hair. She shook her head.

* * *

Elise had been sitting on her spot on the window for most of the day. She had skipped lunch to continue reading, although honestly she had simply forgotten and hadn't intentionally missed the meal. She had been nibbling on her lip anxiously as she read. The book had been scarier than she had anticipated. Haunting.

"Elise?"

The girl jumped about a mile high at the sound of her name. She glanced up and omitted an audible sigh of relief to see it was just Ian, clutching the book tightly to her chest and taking a deep breath.

He chuckled and sat down beside her. "You, alright? What are you reading anyway?" He craned his neck to get a look at the cover. "Who is Stephen King?"

Elise smiled with an amused quirk to her mouth. "He's an American muggle writer. Horrors and thrillers. He's quite good, given me quite a fright." Elise laughed lightly at herself as she ran her fingers over the cover, tracing the title.

Ian nodded, his eyes empty. "Interesting."

Elise frowned slightly. "It is. I could loan it to you when I'm done, if you like. I'll probably be done by dinner tonight." She offered but Ian immediately shook his head with another chuckle.

"I appreciate it but recreational reading isn't really for me." The Slytherin boy shrugged. "Usually I only read to figure out how to do something. Plus, no offense but, I'm not much for muggle authors either. I have a hard time relating to the subjects."

"Oh." Elise said, but relaxed her face to keep it blank so he wouldn't read her disappointment. Her eyes fell back down to the cover.

He didn't seem to notice. "But I did get the new Warlock Woe's album today. My mum owled it to me and I thought I'd take a listen this evening sometime after dinner. I wondered if maybe you'd like to join me?"

The blonde nodded. "Sure. That sounds great. Where were you thinking-"

Ian leaned forward and waggled his eyebrows with a mischievous smile. "Well, I was actually thinking I could sneak you into the Slytherin dorm. I know it's against the rules but," he shrugged. "I don't see the harm. Most people will be doing homework until late. Will you go?"

Elise's eyebrows rose. Of course, she'd seen three out of the four House common rooms but she'd never even heard of someone who wasn't a Slytherin being invited. "You are quite a rule breaker for a Slytherin." She commented and he smiled guiltily, looking away from her and toward the floor.

"Is that a 'no'?"

Elise rolled her eyes and laughed. "That would be a yes, Ian."

"Great!" Ian's eyes raised back to her own, guilt absent from his smile now. "I'll come by the Ravenclaw Tower whenever you're ready after dinner and then escort you down?"

Elise snickered. "I know where the Slytherin dormitory is."

Ian's eyes widened in surprise. "How do you know that?"

Elise shrugged. "I know lots of things. Besides I bet you know where the other House's Common Rooms are."

"Well, sure but Slytherins tend not to disclose information about it as readily as the rest of the school." Still looking surprised, Ian changed tactic. "Either way, I'd rather walk you. Less suspicious, you know."

Elise wanted to disagree but remained silent. If he really wanted to sneak her in he wouldn't create opportunity for half the school to watch them walk from the Towers all the way down to the Dungeons.

"So, I'll see you after dinner, then?" Ian rose from the windowsill but glanced over his shoulder at her, his fingers brushing against hers as he did.

Elise smiled lightly and nodded, bringing her gaze back down to her book and allowing her heart to flutter from the warmth she still felt on the back of her hand where his fingers had touched her.

* * *

Since her discussion with Kim, Lily had been avoiding most of the people she knew. Which meant that she couldn't be in the Gryffindor Common Room or dormitory or else she'd run into Remus or Dorcas. She couldn't hang out in the library because it was incredibly likely that Elise would be there. And she couldn't risk a walk out on the grounds without running into either Elise or Kim. She supposed James was also trying to convince her to forgive her friend, with prompting from Remus she suspected, but he was going about it in the best way. He wasn't immediately assuming she was overreacting like everyone else, in any case.

At that moment she was actually pacing the sixth floor corridors, rubbing her hand over her eyes and forehead. Was she overreacting?

No, she decided. She wasn't. Elise had a habit of just doing whatever she pleased and relying on her wits and knowledge to get her out of trouble. Lily thought back to her time with Elise and realized that this was what she always did and it almost always worked. Elise rarely got caught doing anything, whether that was out of bed after hours, cursing fellow students, or exploring forbidden areas of the castle and grounds.

" _Isn't that the Mudblood?" A harsh voice snickered behind her. Lily whipped her head around to see no one. Anyone sitting around her had their noses close to their books and weren't looking her way. She turned back around and returned to her work. She levitated her feather again, carefully, watching it soar up and up and up before she brought it gently back down again._

" _Aww, look at the little Mudblood practicing so, hard. Still working on the basics, I see." The same voice spoke again, followed by a handful of snickers._

 _Lily whipped her head around and glared in time to catch a handful of students of mixed Houses, but mostly Ravenclaw and Slytherin, laughing behind their hands while stealing glances in her direction._

 _Lily turned back to her work table and sighed. This had been happening since she started school a week ago. Her friend Dorcas had sadly explained what the word meant and Lily couldn't suppress the hurt she felt in the pit of her stomach every time she heard it. She had only just been introduced to this world to discover that she was already at some sort of disadvantage in it._

" _Mudblood." The voice whispered again and Lily froze, closing her eyes. Maybe she ought to just go back to the Common Ro- "Ow!"_

 _Lily spun around yet again to see a slender, small blonde girl holding her wand on one of the third year boys. The boy was holding a hand to his nose which was now bleeding and swelling at an alarming rate._

" _You little shit!" The boy cried out and his eyes began to water as they stared the girl down. He lashed out his own wand with a weak "Supplanto" which the blonde girl shielded herself from with ease._

" _Don't use that word." The girl said, quietly but menacing. Lily's eyes widened in shock. Who was this girl? She wasn't sure if she'd ever seen her before but the streaks of blue on her tie and cloak suggested her House was probably the reason why she didn't know the answer._

 _The boy stood up, holding his nose with one hand and holding his wand out shakily with the other. "I'll say whatever the hell I want!"_

" _Silencio!" The blonde girl shouted with a flick of her wand. "Let's see you say it now, asshole!"_

Lily shook her head at the memory, smiling in spite of herself. That boy's nose never straightened out after that either and those kids never teased Lily again but Elise could have had her ass handed to her by that boy… even if she was defending Lily. Elise shouldn't have provoked a boy so much older and potentially more advanced than herself. Even though that was how the two of them met and became friends, Lily couldn't help but notice that even their friendship was based on Elise being reckless.

Lily blew a strand of hair out of her eyes while she walked. She turned a corner and froze.

"Severus?" Lily asked tentatively, pulled suddenly from her trip down memory lane.

Severus froze on the spot, having heard his name. His back was to her and Lily saw his muscles tense at the sound of her voice, even beneath his thick and oversized cloak. He slowly turned around, his face blank of emotion but his body wrought with tension. He looked tired and Lily realized she hadn't talked to him in a long time. She wondered why he looked so exhausted.

"Lily." Severus responded, cooly, carefully. Calculating.

Lily took a step toward him and stopped, remembering why it was that she hadn't spoken to him in so long.

 _Mudblood._

"What are you doing up here?" Lily asked.

Severus shrugged, his gaze falling somewhere to Lily's shoes. "Thinking."

"Is everything okay?" Lily asked, ignoring her better instincts to simply walk away from him. She didn't know this boy anymore. This was no longer the mysterious, sweet boy who had taught her who she was. He was a stranger. A dark, untrustworthy stranger.

Severus took a step backward, looking slightly alarmed. "Of course. Why wouldn't it?" His eyes lifting to meet hers for a moment before shifting back to her shoes.

"I don't know."

Severus nodded. "It was nice seeing you, Lily." And he disappeared down the hallway quietly but all Lily could wonder was what it was that Severus was hiding. Sure, she hadn't spoken to him of personal matters in a while but she knew well enough to know when he was lying to her.

* * *

Feeling paranoid and nervous after having finished her book, Elise had decided to go to dinner a bit early. She had skipped lunch and she was interested in being around as many people as possible while she tried to shed her anxieties and ease the sick feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. She was about to enter the Great Hall when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Elise?"

The Ravenclaw turned and smiled to see Dorcas stomping her way over.

"Dorcas. How's your day been?"

"Fine, fine." Said the witch distractedly. "How are you? I'm sorry I haven't been around for you this week, Lily's been a bit of a bit-"

Elise waved her hand and shook her head with a smile. "No need to explain. I understand. I'm just glad you're not mad at me too. "

Dorcas chortled and slapped a hand on Elise's back. "Please. Like I could be mad at the only other witch in this school who is as annoyed with people as I am. Besides, you're a big girl. You can handle a little late night stroll without reprimand from your friends. I'm a Gryffindor, after all."

Elise rolled her eyes but nodded in agreeance. She looped her arm through Dorcas's and began to steer her into the Great Hall. "Dinner doesn't start for another thirty minutes, want to try and get away with sitting at the Ravenclaw table with me?"

Dorcas laughed. "Lead the way."

The girls chatted idly a moment while they made their way open to the deserted table and took their seats.

"So," Dorcas said. "I hear you're dating Ian Livick now. Tell me about that. What happened to Sirius?"

Elise shrugged. "Black cursed me and pissed me off. Ian asked me to spend time with him and" Elise smiled inwardly to herself. "He's sweet to me. It was an easy choice, really."

Dorcas nodded, chin in her hand. "I did hear about that… did Black really try and convince you to go to Hogsmeade with him just to get rid of it?"

Elise sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yep."

"Ew. What a creep." Dorcas said, crinkling her nose. "So, what did you and Ian do?"

Elise went on to explain their homework activities, broom ride, and the sweet kiss they had shared after all was said and done. One of the things that Elise liked about Dorcas was that she was patient. She listened carefully and nodded along as Elise spoke.

"And we are going to hang out tonight. Listening to some record I've never heard of." Elise finished with a shrug.

Dorcas laughed lightly. "He wouldn't consider your muggle book but you're going to listen to his dumb music album? You're going to hate Warlock Woe's. I'll tell you that right now."

Elise cracked a grin too with a roll of her eyes.

Dorcas shook her head. "Well, that's not going to work."

"Sure, it will!" Elise defended. "I'll listen silently and comment on the parts of it I don't hate and we'll have a jolly good time. Just because _you_ had a bad experience with a Slytherin-"

Dorcas snorted and held up a hand. "It was not _a_ Slytherin it was _every_ Slytherin and I meant the two of you dating, Elise. He's sweet and he's fit but he is dull."

"He is not!"

Dorcas nodded firmly. "He is, Elise. You are brilliant. You are sharp as a the point of a brand new quill and you are going to get bored. I know you don't want to hear it but Black keeps up better with you than Ian."

Elise scrunched up her nose. "I know you're right but Ian's kind. He doesn't hex me and he doesn't try to intentionally make me mad. He's better than that Hufflepuff I dated last year, anyway."

"HA! Elise, honey. Even you admitted you were just with that boy because he was sodding beautiful." Dorcas sighed. "But I suppose Ian is smarter than him and just as attractive."

Elise nodded. "See?"

"Yeah, yeah, I see. Prat." Dorcas stuck out her tongue, giving Elise's shoulder a hearty shake.

* * *

Sirius hurriedly bounded down the steps into the Common Room and toward the portrait hole. He had been sleeping and knew he was late for dinner at this point. He climbed out past The Fat Lady with thoughts of warm food but froze as the portrait closed behind him.

"Black." A quiet voice said behind him.

Sirius turned slowly, unsure of who it was but reading enough into the tone to be aware of where his wand was. He relaxed upon seeing it was only Livic, leaning against a stone wall.

"Pinprick." Sirius greeted, freezing on the spot. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

"Shove it, Gryffin-bore. I want to talk to you about Elise."

"Oooh, touchy, are we. Well, yeah? What about her, Slyther-dick?"

Ian glanced at his nails, picking at the dirt beneath them. "Stay away from her." He said casually, his hazel eyes flashing as he spoke, flicking back toward Sirius.

Sirius laughed, barking and loud. The sound of it echoed off the halls as he met Ian's gaze. "Not a chance."

Ian pushed himself off the wall and took a few steps toward Sirius now. "You will."

"And why would I do that?" Sirius chuckled, refusing to back up as Ian approached, despite his height.

"Because, I'm dating her now." He said simply. "And I will not have you disrupt my plans."

"Your _plans_?" Sirius asked, incredulous and Ian nodded.

"She's clever. She's observant. She's caring and she's powerful. I've admired her since our third year of school and" his eyes softened. "And I want to spend my life with her, if she'll have me."

Sirius took a step back now. "What? Are you in love with her or something?" His nose crinkling.

Ian shook his head and chuckled softly. "No, of course not. Love has no place in a life-long partnership. You're a Black. You know the pressures of running a tight and noble household." And then the boy sneered. "Well, you used to, eh?"

Sirius's face hardened. "Why do you think your family will even accept her? Don't you know who she is?"

Ian sighed and rolled his eyes, taking a step closer. "Everyone in the Pureblood community knows who she is, idiot. However, my family can be won over. Sure, my grandparents will likely throw a fit but they'll die soon anyway and I already know my parents would love her and we would be able to protect her and her family."

Sirius scowled.

"Anyway, I know she harbors some sort of sentiment for you, the extent to which I don't understand. So, I'm warning you now to leave her be. You're done seeking her out alone. No more late night adventures to the kitchens. And this little prank war the two of you are engaging in is over. You will let her get the last word in and then no more. Do you understand?"

Sirius quirked his eyebrows and of his mouth. "Sure do. But you also need to understand that doesn't mean that's going to happen. I'm better suited for her than you, Pinprick."

Ian scoffed and smiled. "Why do you think that? Because you're a brave and noble Gryffindor? Because you need a new partner in crime to get into mischief with since you lost Potty? You only want to use her. At least I want her for more than pranks and frivolity." He chuckled to himself and turned to leave. "Surely you want better for her than that. Just let her go."

Sirius's face hardened as he watched him saunter off, back down the hallway. "At least she'll be happy with me."

Ian froze. "What does happiness have to do with anything?" He threw over his shoulder and continued down the hall, leaving Sirius seething behind him.

* * *

"So, for this spell would I want more a flick or a brush with the incantations?" Erin was asking as she and her fellow Ravenclaw, Elise, poured over a mountain of books in the library.

Elise glanced over at the passage Erin was pointing out. "Both. Start with a hard flick followed by a gentle brush down the length of whatever it is you want to transfigure."

Erin nodded and copied down some notes on parchment and sighed heavily. Elise looked up from her own work to fix the girl with an inquisitive look.

"Yes?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I wouldn't want to distract you from your work." Erin replied, skimming over a book before copying over more notes.

Elise nodded, skeptically. "Okay…" She turned back to her book.

Another sigh.

"You have to tell me now." Elise said, closing her book with a bit of a snap.

"What?" Erin asked startled, quill poised delicately over the page.

Elise leaned over and closed Erin's book under her nose with a look. "Out with it. Are you sighing like that over Remus?"

Erin's cheeks turned a bright red and she shook her head vigorously. "No! No. It's just that I'm having a bit of a spat with my mate and it's bothering me is all."

"Uh huh."

Erin nodded but said nothing, opening her book again. Elise watched her skeptically for a moment before pulling a new book towards her, skimming for the information she wanted.

 _The wizard made animagus is less of a natural transition than wizards who are born with an animagus disposition. The wizard made's body must learn to transfigure instead of …_

Sigh.

Elise leaned over again and pulled Erin's book toward herself and looked at her expectantly. "Alright, just tell me about your friend, Erin."

Erin's eyes widened and her mouth fell open in surprise but she quickly composed herself, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Well," The girl licked her lips. "One of my friends went out into the Forbidden Forest the other night and got her arm and leg broken by a Centaur."

Elise's eyes widened in surprise but she remained silent. She hadn't heard that a student had been harmed in the forest in a long time.

"She's made it a bit of habit of going out there for years now. I told her she shouldn't, that she was going to get hurt but she didn't believe me. She always said she was fine and that nothing would ever come of it but now it has."

Elise's eyes narrowed but she continued to listen nodding along as Erin spoke.

"The difficult part is that she wants to go back out again. Even after she's gotten hurt she wants to go back out, saying it was just a fluke and that I've no right to tell her not to because she can take care of herself-"

"Did Kim put you up to this?" Elise interrupted with a sigh.

Erin grinned, knowing she had been had. "Dorcas."

Elise nodded and ran a hand through her hair. "Do you think Lily is right?"

Erin shrugged. "I think you both have a right to be mad. Lily is just looking out for you but you are fully capable of handling yourself."

Elise nodded again. "Lily just thinks that I don't think about what I'm doing. She doesn't trust me to handle myself, even though I have proved myself able on countless occasions, unlike your fake friend."

Erin chuckled.

"She just thinks that I, uh, go flying about on my broom for the hell of it and because I can. What she doesn't understand is that it's…" Elise paused, eyeing Erin for a moment. She licked her lips. "She just doesn't understand that it's liberating. I am always vigilant when I go. I'm always careful and Lily just doesn't see that and she thinks by giving me the cold shoulder that I'll be more responsible when the fact of the matter is that I _am_ responsible. Any risks I take are calculated before they are executed." Elise shook her head. "But I can't explain any of that to her because all she hears is 'risk' and she freaks out."

* * *

Lily lifted an eyebrow with a bite of food halfway to her mouth. "You want to go to the library with me?"

Sirius chortled into his plate and James hit him hard in the ribs but quickly nodded to Lily. "Uh, yeah. So, how about it? Study Arithmancy with me then?"

Lily thought a moment, throwing a quick glance at Sirius before nodding.

"Excellent." James grinned.

The two Gryffindor students scooped up books and supplies from their House table and waved to their respective friends before making their way out of the hall.

Lily was staring ahead unsure of what to think about the current situation she found herself in. She knew that James had been improving his work ethic since becoming Head Boy but was still finding herself quite shocked that he wanted to work in the library of all places. For the most part he seemed to stick with Remus in the Common Room to do his homework.

"So, how is Kimmy doing on this fine day?" James asked slyly, chancing a glance at the red head beside him.

Lily pursed her lips. "She's doing well." She said slowly, choosing to ignore James's glance her way but she did see him nod.

"And how did your little chat together go?"

Lily swallowed the lump in her throat before her eyes went wide with a realization. "Well... So,how did she convince you to come and get me?"

James laughed. "She promised us butterbeer."

Lily nodded. "Of course, all it takes is a drink to do the trick, eh?"

James gasped. "I could be convinced to do something by a great many means, Ms. Evans!" He exclaimed, feigning shock.

"Like what? Food?" Lily said cheekily.

James gasped again and bumped her shoulder gently with is. Despite their current topic of conversation, Lily felt herself relaxing. A small smile wormed it's way onto her face as she stole a glance in his direction.

He looked different than she had remembered him being. All throughout their school years together she had always seen right through him, blind to his good looks and only seeing his arrogance, disregard for authority, and general disrespect of others. But as she looked at him now, walking happily beside her with a wide smile on his face she felt her cheeks heat under the realization that she was no longer blind to his attractive features.

She quickly looked away and hoped he hadn't noticed her staring. She didn't want him to think he was breaking her down after all this time.

The arrived at the library and James began leading her toward the back and Lily slowed, casting a skeptical glance in his direction. He was leading her toward Elise's table. However, she brushed it off as coincidence until he rounded the corner toward the Restricted Section and Lily froze. James noticed her hesitation and gestured for her to continue to follow. She shook her head hurriedly and pointed in the opposite direction.

"Why don't we just use one of those tables back there?" She whispered anxiously, her eyes darting forward and catching a sight of a familiar head of blonde hair.

James strode over to Lily in two steps and leaned toward her. "There's something I want to show you. Come on. I won't make you talk to her. I just want you to listen."

Lily shook her head vigorously and fixed her eyes back on Elise who she now realized was sitting with Erin.

James sighed and took hold of her elbow. "Come on. Only a moment and then I'll let you take us wherever you'd like to go."

Lily grudgingly allowed him to steer her to a bookshelf on the other side of the study table that the Ravenclaws Lily wanted to avoid were sitting. James held a finger up to his lips and then pointed in their direction.

"Did Kim put you up to this?" Elise was saying and Lily's ears perked up at the mention of their mutual friend.

"Dorcas." She heard Erin reply.

"Do you think Lily is right?" Elise asked and Lily froze, holding her breath.

"I think you both have a right to be mad. Lily is just looking out for you but you are fully capable of handling yourself."

Lily found herself nodding in agreement until Erin mentioned Elise being responsible for herself. Lily scowled and shot a look at James who merely shrugged with a cheeky smile.

"Lily just thinks that I don't think about what I'm doing. She doesn't trust me to handle myself, even though I have proved myself able on countless occasions, unlike your fake friend."

Erin was chuckling while Lily listened hard. She did trust Elise, of course she did. She was a strong and powerful witch, after all. She was just worried about the future. Everyone makes mistakes.

"She just thinks that I, uh, go flying about on my broom for the hell of it and because I can. What she doesn't understand is that it's…" Elise paused and Lily looked up to realize James was watching her carefully. His eyes trained on her own. "She just doesn't understand that it's liberating. I am always vigilant when I go. I'm always careful and Lily just doesn't see that and she thinks by giving me the cold shoulder that I'll be more responsible when the fact of the matter is that I _am_ responsible. Any risks I take are calculated before they are executed. But I can't explain any of that to her because all she hears is 'risk' and she freaks out."

Lily looked down at her toes as her heart beat in her throat. She pressed her lips together and nodded. She had overreacted. Lily took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"Think we could raincheck, Potter?" Lily asked quietly. "There's something I need to do."

James nodded knowingly and Lily turned away from him to walk around the corner of the bookshelf where Erin and Elise were still talking. Elise froze at the sight of her friend but said nothing.

"Elise." Lily said slowly, walking closer to the table. "Do you think I could borrow you for a moment?"

Elise looked to Erin who nodded and Elise got up from the table. "I'll be back." She whispered to Erin before meeting Lily on the other side of the table. They walked together in silence for a moment before Elise realized that Lily was leading them out of the library. Once they made it to the corridor Lily stopped and turned to her friend.

"I'm sorry I overreacted."

"I'm sorry I worried you." The blonde responded quickly.

They nodded at each other a moment before Lily pressed on "I only want…" She paused, biting her lip.

"For me to be safe?" Elise asked and Lily nodded. "I only want you to-"

"Trust you." Lily finished with a small smile before a thought made her smile grow. "You know, I was thinking maybe you should just fly over to Gryffindor Tower on nights like.. On nights like, you know."

Elise smiled too. "Okay. I can't promise that I won't make a lap or two around the castle first but I would really appreciate that."

Lily's smile fell slightly at those words but she nodded at the second half. "Deal." She was just glad to have her friend back.


	9. Don't you think?

A/N: It's a lot of filler but I hope you enjoy it.

I'm sorry this took so long to come out, for some reason it ended up being hard for me to write.

As usual, I don't own HP, the characters or any of it's ideas.

Please enjoy.

* * *

Elise's evening with Ian had gone fairly uneventfully. As Dorcas had prophesied, it had been… well, boring as dirt. They discussed their likes, their dislikes, and what they wanted to do when they left school. Ian had scolded her on the dangers of experimenting with magic when she explained that was something she enjoyed doing and she had found herself arguing with a brick wall. She explained that she was careful. She explained that she always double checked what she was combining before she did it and she explained that she followed safety protocol perfectly but he didn't even seem to be listening.

"You shouldn't be working in ways you can't understand." Was all he said over and over to every point she presented. Usually followed by, "People die when they push beyond the certainties of magic."

She had given up eventually. Agreeing to disagree. She knew the risks. She knew to be careful. She had had to refrain from calling him 'mum' when he had spoken that way to her.

He didn't catch her jokes and she didn't understand his. His music was boring with a soft moody tune and she found her mind constantly wandering. But she was able to find something to say in the way of compliments toward the music he played. She loved most music, she found it wasn't hard to make up something nice to say about his selections.

But when she left him that evening she left feeling bored and looking forward to the novel she had waiting for her in her own dorm.

Alone and without Ian.

Even through all of this she knew that he was good for her. Healthy. Like green beans. They may not be exciting but they offered structure and stability in a way that ice cream and cookies just don't. Green beans wouldn't melt or crumble. Green beans don't give you cavities. Green beans were good for you.

* * *

Elise sat down comfortably at the Ravenclaw table for breakfast on Saturday morning and quickly realized that she had brought no books or parchment to occupy herself while she awaited her post. Slightly annoyed with herself and her forgetfulness, she decided to reflect upon the last week instead.

The week following the Big Boring Date, as it was coming to be known amongst Elise's friends, had gone by considerably less eventful when you compare it to the beginning of the school year.

Her classes were already shaping up to be great classes. Hard but great. She and Lily had worked out great NEWT study schedules and she was already feeling prepared to succeed. She felt good that week. She was feeling accomplished and capable but, she reflected, she still wasn't feeling 100% about Ancient Runes. She made a note to herself to ask Remus about making a regular time to study.

Ian had asked her to Hogsmeade around Wednesday. Of course, he had been so sweet, pulling her aside from the masses of students to ask if she would accompany. Something about it reminded her fleetingly of the scene in "Carrie" when Carrie was asked to the Prom but she brushed the feeling away, smiled and agreed.

Of course, she had no intention of spending all of her time with him and she said so. He looked relieved and admitted interest in spending time with his own friends too. So, they had agreed on an hour and a half to two hours at most.

It was sensible. It was logical. It was a great compromise and she was looking forward to the added social interaction.

Elise looked to the Gryffindor table and found herself smiling when she noticed that Lily was already up. Elise would never had said so during their feud, or probably ever, but she was glad that they finally patched things up. She found herself almost looking forward to the next time she can't sleep and can have the opportunity to go see her. To have someone be there for her instead of toiling in the dark by herself.

Elise's gaze moved down the table next to her friend and her eyes widen in shock. There, sitting next to Lily, was James Potter. Elise was astounded but continued to look on. Lily and James were sitting closer together than normal and Elise smiled to herself, knowing that he's getting to her. Knowing that he's making her happy than her redheaded friend would be willing to admit. Knowing that they are building a friendship and knowing that she will one day give in and stop seeing him as the obnoxious boy he once was. Her heart warms as she watched her friend turn to the disheveled, black haired boy besides her and smiled wide with a chuckle, a soft blush spreading across her cheeks.

The surprises just kept coming as Elise glanced to the bloke across from James to find Sirius. He looks tired but.. Happy, Elise decided. She ignored the post that gets dropped onto her plate and merely moved it aside. Elise continued to watch him. He looked so carefree, brushing off another blonde witch who is clearly trying to convince Sirius to go with her to Hogsmeade but he barely gives her a second glance before he's laughing with Peter about something else. His attention already pulled elsewhere.

She tore her gaze away and looked down to her demolished breakfast but she didn't want to eat anymore of it anyway. Something was knotting in her stomach that only took her a moment to realize was envy. She was envious of Sirius bloody Black. She looked back up, pulling her newspaper into her hands and found herself wishing that she had something like that within her own House. Someone to be with all the time who made her laugh and forget the stresses of school.

But she knew that all she can have with that boy is a friendship. And a tentative one at that. Whatever happened between them before… it was wrong. He's a liar. A manipulator. And doesn't see her as anything more than a challenge and she cannot let herself succumb to him.

She won't be another conquest.

She won't be his game.

She sighed and realized she would have to let him take the last word. She wouldn't retaliate to his storm cloud. She opened her paper and skimmed the front page, an article on some ideas for legislative reform, and found herself letting it go.

It was just a game and she wouldn't play anymore.

Over the top of her paper Elise noticed Kim's face light up as she plucked a letter from the table. Elise watched as her friend pours over the letter she knows to be from her muggle boyfriend. Elise sees her blush at something and then giggle quickly after it. Elise smirked before turning the page of _The Daily Prophet_.

She got about halfway through an article on the dangers of werewolves who have been integrated back into society when she felt eyes on her back. She gently set the paper down and skimmed her eyes down the Slytherin table. Her gaze settled on Ian looking happy too, much like her friends. But she caught him glancing her way occasionally when he thinks she's not paying attention. She turned away after a moment and soon felt his eyes on her again and she can't decide if his stares are making her uncomfortable or feeling wanted. After a moment she decided that it was sweet and that he was thinking about her.

A little sugar never hurt green beans.

* * *

Kim was flying round and round the Quidditch Pitch after breakfast, Aengus's letter filling her heart with warmth. She had opted out of Hogsmeade for that first day, taking advantage of an empty school to practice. She hadn't done very much during the summer holiday and was performing like rubbish at their practices.

Kim was Keeper for the Hufflepuff team and knew that that was one of their biggest defenses against some of the better Houses. Apart from the Seeker, of course. But Kim knew she wasn't the fastest and being Keeper there wasn't much that she could do to stop the snitch from being caught.

She flew another lap, leaning forward slightly to reduce her air resistance but found her letter from that morning coming back to her.

It had been decided that he and his family would be coming to England for the Christmas holidays, not far at all from where she and her family lived. She would get to see him. Get to kiss him. Get to laugh with him and talk to him in person instead of through that weird paper that Lily had insisted she write with. It wasn't the same as parchment and the texture made her hands tingle uncomfortably when she touched it.

She was going to have to explain to her parents who she would be meeting eventually though and that thought sent a pang of anxiety into her gut. She was sure that they would not be rude about his magiclessness but she was sure that they would not approve and she wasn't sure how to pitch it yet.

She flew another lap.

* * *

"How about these?" Ian was holding up a bag of licorice wands with a crease between his eyebrows, clearly disapproval.

Elise found herself laughing as she pulled the bag from his hands and placed it back on the shelf with a shake of her head.

"I'm more of a chocolate, jelly, and acid pops kind of witch." She said with a smile, picking up a box of chocolate frogs.

"I never took you as much of a card collector." Ian said, leaning against the wall across from her as she looked at the price.

"I'm not." She replied. Although, that was a small lie. She didn't actively collect them like many of her fellow students but she certainly kept the figures she admired. "But I like chocolate and I like to _read_ the cards." She put the bulk box down and set a few individual frogs into her basket instead.

They had been wandering around Honeydukes for a little over thirty minutes at that point and Elise had to admit that this was turning out better than she had hoped. They laughed at the Bertie Bott's Beans section, drooled over the toffee, and playfully argued about the best flavor of jelly slug. This had been much better than their music date.

Who knew that green beans tasted good with a side of chocolate?

* * *

Peter had been sulking in Gryffindor Tower for most of the day. After breakfast had finished he had hustled his way back up here. He couldn't allow himself to be alone anymore. Not after the information he had let those Slytherin's scare out of him the other day. He had told them anything they wanted and he knew he would continue to do so.

He told them everyone's blood status. Told them everyone's political leaning. He even told them which of Moony's parents was the muggle. He was thanking gods and Founders that he had had the good sense not to offer information he wasn't asked about but he had a feeling that they had some sort of inkling he knew more.

Peter threw himself back onto his bed and threw an arm over his eyes. He couldn't keep doing this to his friends. He resolved to just always make sure he stayed with people. Never be alone. Never give them the opportunity.

He couldn't keep doing this to his friends.

Or someone was going to get hurt and it would be his fault.

* * *

Lily walked happily out of Tomes and Scrolls, the bookshop there in Hogsmeade, looking over her two selections. One book for pleasure was the one that she was really excited about while the other, for her transfiguration project, found itself quickly into her bag.

She hummed quietly to herself while she read the summary on the back for the fourth time now when she suddenly collided with...well, something. The book flew from her hands and she hit the ground hard. The wind quickly evacuated her lungs.

Her body settling on the ground, the fall over, she rolled to her side gasping desperately to come face to face with a set of startled hazel eyes, framed by round glasses and jet black, shaggy hair.

"Oh, my Godric I can't believe I did that!" James Potter cried, leaping to his feet and grabbing onto Lily's hand. He yanked her up and immediately began to dust off her robes.

"Lily, I am so, so sorry." He gushed in a very uncharacteristic way and she just stared at him after batting his hands away. His eyes were filled with concern.

"I'm fine." She said, a little breathless, dusting herself off the rest of the way. "I should have been looking where I was going."

He nodded but argued. "No, no. I was reading my Quidditch magazine I just bought down there at Spintwitches. It was my fault. Please. Let me buy you a butterbeer or something."

Lily found herself chuckling. First he gets Head Boy and he isn't involved with the pranks of his friends, then he actually volunteers answers in class, and somehow the boy was now standing in front of her apologizing.

"Well, I never." She said, breathless this time for a different reason. She shook her head quickly to clear it. "It's quite alright. I was equally involved." She waved a hand. "I actually have more errands to run but if I see you later I will definitely take you up on that butterbeer."

James smiled and straightened his glasses on the end of his nose. "Alright. I hope to see you later then."

Lily nodded before turning away. "Later then." She threw over her shoulder.

What a peculiar day.

* * *

James Potter was walking with a bit of a skip in his step down the street. He appeared to be flipping through a Quidditch magazine but really he was thinking about his morning with Lily Evans.

Somehow he had managed to sit next to her at breakfast that morning. An unusual feat in and of itself. On top of that she had actually laughed at his jokes. He still wasn't sure how he accomplished that.

You know, after all this time and after all of her displeasure with him he had sort of thought for a moment that he would never come back. But then they have days like today where they smile and laugh and it makes him think that maybe-

James had run straight into a mass with fiery hair. He hit the ground hard and groaned, hearing a feminine gasp beside him.

Well, speak of the devil.

"Oh, my Godric I can't believe I did that!" James exclaimed. He shot up to his feet, pulling Lily up with him. He took in the sight of her and tried hard not to get distracted from the fact that he had just completely taken her out. Her hair was frazzled, her robes dirty, and she was clearly out of breath. The poor boy began to attempt to brush the dust off of her but the Head Girl merely brushed his hands away with a look of surprise.

 _Dear Godric_ , James was praying. _You were doing so well!_ He admonished himself. If she wasn't standing right there he would have smacked his own forehead.

"Lily, I am so, so sorry." He said instead, hoping that he hadn't completely undone his strides forward in one blunder.

"I'm fine." She said breathless."I should have been looking where I was going." Her bright green eyes took him in and he began to feel uncomfortable, like she would see through him, like at any moment her face would twist into the familiar look of disappointment and annoyance and she would accuse him of trying to win her over.

Which he was but he hoped that she couldn't see that. He was finally doing it the right way. He wasn't trying to get her attention with antics and hijinks but with sincerity.

"No, no. I was reading my Quidditch magazine I just bought down there at Spintwitches. It was my fault. Please. Let me buy you a butterbeer or something." He said desperately but he froze at her look. If anything her eyes seemed to brighten and if he wasn't entirely certain about her ability to read minds before he sure as hell was now but then she chuckled, breaking the spell and he allowed himself to smile in return.

"Well, I never." She muttered and he wasn't entirely sure if he was meant to hear that. "It's quite alright. I was equally involved." She waved a hand. "I actually have more errands to run but if I see you later I will definitely take you up on that butterbeer."

A definite step forward. He wasn't sure what had happened but that was the closest he had ever gotten to a date with Lily Evans.

"Alright. I hope to see you later then." He said.

Lily nodded before turning away. "Later then." She threw over her shoulder and he watched as she walked away.

What a peculiar day.

* * *

Elise sat alone in a booth at the Three Broomsticks with a book in her hands. She was waiting for her friends to join her, sipping on a butterbeer and enjoying some chips. She looked away from her book to take another sip when she noticed a few guests sliding into her booth next to and across from her that she had not been expecting.

"Black, James. What are you doing?" She asked bringing her gaze back to her book.

"We are sitting." James said cheerily, bringing his butterbeer down onto the table with a heavy thunk, some of the liquid in the glass splashing over the edges and onto his hands.

Elise rolled her eyes. "I meant why are you sitting in my booth?"

Sirius threw an arm over her shoulder and replied, "Well, love, because all the other booths are full." His breath smelled like firewhiskey and he, like James, spoke with a higher than normal level of cheer to his voice.

Elise raised her eyebrows and eyed them both. "You lot seem to be in high spirits." She commented, removing Sirius's arm and taking another sip of her drink.

"Indeed!" James exclaimed, nearly knocking over his own drink.

"Indeed!" Sirius agreed, successfully knocking over Elise's drink, spilling all over James.

"Padfoot! You drunken arse!" James exclaimed. He stood suddenly and began to make headway clearing the mess with his wand. When the table was cleared James left the booth muttering about cleaning himself up in the bathroom.

Elise stood up, too. "Sirius let me out of the booth."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Oooh, I'm Sirius now, am I?" He asked, winking.

"I need to go get another drink now that you've spilled mine, you prat." Elise replied.

"Mmm, no. Prongs'll get 'em. There he is now." Sirius waved at James who was indeed bringing three beers back to the table and most definitely not going to the bathroom to clean up.

Elise sat back down but eyed him warily. When James had rejoined them at the table Sirius pulled out a flask from his robes. "Let's play a game!" He cried, happily but Elise shook her head.

"I don't think so, Black." She emphasized his name and took a sip of her new butterbeer and licked her lips.

"Oh, come now." Sirius pouted and motioned for James to do the same. James too pulled a pout and looked at Elise through long, dark lashes.

"I… erm… Dorcas! Remus!" Elise spotted her two friends that she had been expecting and motioned them over to the booth. When the two had sat down she said, "Remus please help me convince these two that playing a drinking game now is not a good idea."

Elise expected her two friends to immediately shoot it down. They should have given the boys a lecture about drinking in excess. They should have reprimanded them. However, instead, Remus began to giggle and so did Dorcas.

Dorcas giggled.

Giggled for Rowena's sake!

It was then that Elise noticed their ruddy cheeks, bright smiles, and slightly vacant eyes. "Shit. You lot, too?" Elise asked, defeated.

"Yup!" James said. "We got 'em all. The only one we missed is Lily and that's 'cause she's running errands. So, how about it?"

Sirius handed her the flask. Elise was not a stranger to drink but she had never indulged while within the school year. She chose to indulge mainly while on holiday, usually with her father in his study while she explained what it was she did in school. She eyed the flask, gave it a sniff, and took a sufficient gulp. She passed it back and made a face.

"So, what game shall we play?" James asked excitedly.

Nearly an hour and a half went by before Lily Evans made her way to the booth. "I am so sorry. I cannot believe that I am so late I…" She stopped. "You lot are positively sloshed!" She exclaimed and the entire booth froze. In the middle of their drinking game, half the table had their fingers on their noses while the other half was pointing at Elise.

Ignoring Lily, Sirius laughed. "Elise! It's your turn again. Off you go!" He handed her the flask. She grudgingly took it and took a large sip.

Lily gave her a look.

"What!" Exclaimed Elise. "I'm of age. Keep that judgement to yourself, missy." Elise giggled and handed the flask back to Sirius with a smile.

Lily pulled up a chair to the end of the table but was shaking her head. "I can't say I'm terribly surprised." The redhead sighed and took her seat. "So, is this all you've been doing while I was gone?" She asked.

"Yesshhh." Slurred James, throwing her a wink.

Lily looked taken aback by his response but nodded. "Well, then. I was actually thinking of heading up to the castle. It's almost dusk."

The drunken crew all craned their necks to get a good look outside and to some degree chuckled or giggled in response.

"That is an excsssellent point, Lily." Remus said, standing up from his place in the booth. "Lemme out, Dorcussss."

Dorcas sloppily slid out of the booth, followed by Remus and then James. Elise also stood but Sirius did not move. "Come on, Black!" She exclaimed, waving her hands toward the end of the booth.

"Oh, I'm going, I'm going. Keep your knickers awhnnn." He replied, leaning heavily on the table to stand up.

When they had all managed to stumble to the carriages Elise waved them off. "You lot go on. I fancy a bit of a walk." Her friends barely noticed and piled into the carriage. She waved them off and watched them pile into the carriages before starting to make her own way on foot.

"Oye!" A voice cried behind her. "Wait fer me!"

Elise turned to look over her shoulder and found Sirius uneasily but swiftly making his way toward her.

She sighed heavily but waited for him before she continued walking, her resolve from that morning drifting through her mind.

 _She won't be another conquest._

 _She won't be his game._

She began rummaging in her robes. "Now, if you're going to walk with me back to the castle you have to keep a secret." She said as she pulled a small box from her robes, along with a box of matches.

"I can keep a secret!" Sirius exclaimed proudly.

Elise scoffed. "I've seen how you keep secrets."

"Aww come on. I wanna know one of yer secrets. Say, what've you got there?" He asked, gesturing to the items she held tightly in her hand.

She pulled a slender white stick from the box and then handed the box to him.

Sirius gasped as she brought a lit match to the end of the stick. "These are muggle cigarettes!"

"Yes," Elise replied. "My father smokes pretty heavily. I tend to pick it up from time to time and when my mother isn't around we'll have them together."

Sirius smirked and then laughed. "You are soooo bad!"

Elise rolled her eyes with a smile and took a drag. "My father is French. What do you expect. So, can you keep a secret?" She asked him.

"Can I have one?" He asked.

Elise nodded and stopped walking to light the match and hold it to the end of his cigarette for him. He inhaled and on the exhale said, "Then I can keep secret."

"Good. If Lily knew I smoked she would kill me." Elise said, giving the cigarette in her hand a flick.

The pair walked in silence for a moment before Sirius blurted, "So, do you run or something?"

Taken aback Elise could only ask, "What?"

"You know. Do you jog around the grounds at night or something? Fly on a broom? What?" He asked again.

Elise paled slightly but thankfully Sirius didn't seem to notice. "I fly my broom." She lied.

Sirius nodded and took another drag. "Interesting."

"Why do you ask?"

Sirius grunted. "What?"

Elise took another drag but slid her eyes over to watch him. "Why are you asking me that?"

He chuckled and regarded the smoke that billowed from her lips. "I've seen you."

Startled Elise froze in the middle of the path. "You've seen me fly?"

"Well, no. On the map. I've seen you on the map."

Elise took a visible breathe of relief and continued walking. "You watch me on the map?"

Sirius nodded. "Sometimes when I'm worried you're mad at me."

Elise glanced back at it again. "You worry I'm mad at you?"

He nodded again.

"Why?"

Sirius released an exaggerated sigh, flicking his cigarette aggressively. "Nooo, reason."

"Liar."

"I am not!"

"You are too. Tell me why you worry about me being mad."

"I'm drunk but not that drunk." Sirius said with a chuckle.

Elise pouted but went silent.

By the time they finally made their way up to the castle it was dark but upon passing by the lake, Elise sat down.

"I think I fancy a bit of a sit before I condemn myself to the Ravenclaw Tower." Elise said, pulling another cigarette out of her bag.

Sirius followed suit, sitting down beside her. She offered him another cigarette and he took it happily.

"Tell me another secret, Simon." Sirius said, eyeing his cigarette with interest as though he thought that if he stared at it long enough her secrets would reveal themselves in the curls of smoke coming from the end.

"Fat chance. I'm not that drunk." Elise said, repeating Sirius's words from earlier.

Sirius pulled the flask from his pocket and took a healthy swig before offering it to her. "Let's play a game then to fix that."

Elise took the flask from him and took a sip. "What did you have in mind?"

Sirius took the flask back and thought only a moment. "Never have I ever had shagged a bloke."

Elise sighed with a disgusted tone but took the flask from him and took another quick sip. "If you're going to play that way, I've never shagged a bird."

Sirius took the flask with a grin. He took his sip and coughed lightly. "I've never been caught snogging in a cupboard."

"You bastard!" Elise cried but took the flask from him anyway.

"Wait, really!?" Sirius sat forward suddenly, his eyes a little out of focus but gleaming with curiosity. "You mean I was right?!"

Elise took her sip and nodded. "Fourth year."

"And with whumm might I ask was with you?"

Elise grimaced. "Oliver Coroner."

"Coroner!" Sirius exclaimed with a bark of laughter. "What in the bloody hell were you doing with that sack of crud?!"

Elise scowled. "He's my friend now but we dated briefly before we realized that we weren't well matched."

"I should say not!" Sirius laughed which only induced a deeper scowl to settle on Elise's face.

"Please. Because you're attempt at Dorcas was so well placed."

Sirius gasped. "How did you bloody well know about that?"

Elise looked at him incredulous. "She's one of my best friends, idiot."

"Oh, right." He hiccuped.

"I've never…" She paused a moment to take a puff and exhale. "I've never shagged anyone from my own House."

Sirius snorted. "So, Ravenclaw for you and Gryffindor for me?"

Elise nodded, watching him warily. The additional drinks were starting to get to her but she found herself being less giggly this time around.

Sirius took another drink. "How is it you've never been with anyone from your own House?"

Elise shrugged. "I dunno. I spend too much time with them already to want to spend more time with them, I think. That's honestly one of the reasons Oliver and I didn't work out too well."

Sirius nodded. "So, what Houses have you been with?" He asked with a smirk.

Elise pursed her lips and shook her head. "I'm not telling you anything. It's your turn."

Sirius thought for a moment, tapping his chin with his cigarette less hand. "Never have I ever read anything written by that Stephen King bloke."

Elise just stared at him. "What?"

Sirius repeated himself and Elise shook her head, taking the flask when he handed to her. Her gaze settled back onto him. "You paid attention to what I was reading that day?"

Sirius nodded slowly, taking the flask back from her after she took her sip. "You seemed anxious while you were reading, so I wanted to know what it was." He hiccupped. "You seemed too mad at me at the time to tell me then, so I just glanced at the cover to know what it was."

Elise fixed him with a curious look. "It's a horror/thriller novel written by an American muggle."

Sirius continued to nod slowly, looking out across the lake. "That would make sense then. You wouldn't stop moving your fingers and you had this," he blew a lock of hair out of his eyes. "You had this little worry crease between your eyebrows."

Elise found herself nodding too. "I was at a suspenseful part of the book when you happened by." She said and he laughed loudly, the sound carrying across the black water.

"Happened." He repeated and laughed again. Elise smiled. "You know I didn't happen upon you."

Elise smiled wider with a shake of her head. "No, I suppose not."

They fell silent a moment before Sirius broke it. "How can a book be scary?" He turned to look at her, looking skeptical.

"It's… I don't know. It's creepy. It's well written and the way the events turned out would be enough to put anyone on edge, I think."

Sirius nodded.

"I could loan it to you, if you like." She offered, her voice going quieter than she had meant to let it go but she found herself becoming very interested in his answer.

The boy next to her appeared to think a moment, a long moment before he nodded once. "Yeh, sure. Lemme 'ave a go at it. We'll see how scary it is."

Interesting, Elise thought to herself as she looked at Sirius's face. She thought back to when she'd discussed the book briefly with Ian.

" _Recreational reading isn't really for me... I'm not much for muggle authors."_ Ian had said.

"It doesn't put you off that he's a muggle author?" Elise asked Sirius suddenly and he turned to look at her with an odd look of confusion and disgust twisting his features.

"What? No. Why in the bloody hell does that matter? I wouldn't have thought that you'd be one to care about that, Simon." The boy said and Elise's eyebrows rose in shock.

"It doesn't, I just… offered the book to someone else recently who turned it down because of that." She replied quickly and Sirius's face went dark.

"I'm not like my family." He said quietly, snubbing out his cigarette on the ground.

"I'm sorry, Sirius. I didn't mean to imply that you were." Elise said quickly, standing as Sirius did. "I was just curious." Elise shrugged.

"Yeah, right. Of course. It's just a sore subject." Sirius said quickly, looking down and rubbing at the back of his neck. The posture was the same but the look on his face was so much more sincere now than when he had tried to pull the look off last week, Elise noticed.

"Anyway, we'd better be making our way back up, don't you think?" She said, tentatively.

The boy nodded silently.

Elise dropped her cigarette and stomped on it with her foot for good measure, though she knew it had burned out a few minutes ago.

"I'll get you the book at breakfast." She said and he nodded again as they walked the rest of the way up to the castle in silence.


	10. Think you can manage?

A/N: A couple of things, the first is that this chapter is kinda short. I haven't done anything this short since the first one but I promise there is a reason! The Halloween Chapter (aka, this chapter) was getting seriously massive (excuse the pun) so I broke it into two parts. I'd like to put up the second part tomorrow but if feedback is slow and people aren't that into it I'll probably take more of my time on it. So, if you really want the second part done tell me what you think of this one. I would love to get some feedback now that the story is well underway.

The second thing is that I've got a couple of other writings in the works (including a prequel and a sequel to this...). I'm probably going to post teasers for them in the next week or so and would love for people to go check 'em out.

The usual: I'm not JKR, I don't own the characters or the names. Wish I did but I don't. This is just for fun.

Please enjoy!

* * *

Elise dabbed a napkin at the corner of her mouth before folding it back into her lap and helping herself to more treats.

"You know," Cynthia was saying "I think this is the first Halloween feast we've ever gotten through in which those Gryffindor boys didn't mess it up somehow."

Jeffrey nodded, swallowing a huge bite of tart before answering. "It is odd, isn't it? I walked in here this evening prepared for some serious shenanigans. I almost feel let down."

The seventh year Ravenclaws glanced over to the Gryffindor table to find nothing amiss, just a seemingly normal evening meal between the four Marauders.

Elise shrugged. "Well, Potter doesn't help out anymore. Not since he made Head Boy which gives Remus some back up against Black and Peter."

The her fellow classmates nodded.

"But even still," Oliver piped up. "I would have thought that in our last year they would have done _something_."

"In any case, I must say that I'm glad that I won't have to spend tonight figuring out how to fix what they did." Elise replied.

There were murmurs amongst them in agreement before the conversation turned as Cynthia brought up a particularly troublesome rune she had come across in class but Elise's eyes wandered back to the Gryffindor table.

She watched as Lily smiled at something James was saying to her with an even wider smile than hers as Dorcas rolled her eyes, muttering something darkly under her breath. Peter was chattering quickly and rather animatedly to a unsurprisingly quiet Remus. He held his chin with his hand, his plate of Halloween goodies mostly untouched as he listened to Peter. And then her eyes fell to Sirius Black who was holding his head in his hand. His palm was cradling his forehead as he leaned hunched over the table.

Elise, true to her word, had remembered to loan Sirius her copy of "Carrie" the morning after their trip to Hogsmeade. He seemed to be slowly working at it but every few days he would bring it up in class, asking her how she felt about this character or that, the writing style, and the like. Elise had found herself pleased to be discussing anything with Black that wasn't an argument or an awkwardly close physical encounter but their oddly placed point of conversation had not gone unnoticed.

" _Stephen King, Elise?" Lily raised her eyebrows at Elise over her steaming cauldron. "Really?"_

" _Uh, yeah?" Elise responded distracted as she stared down at the contents in her own cauldron. The color hadn't been turning the way it was supposed to so she added another pinch of salt and nodded in approval as the concoction before her bubbled to the appropriate shade of green._

" _You and Sirius are discussing Stephen King?" Lily clarified, crossing her arms tightly over herself, continuing to stare Elise down._

 _Elise glanced up, taking in her friend's look and stance before leaning away from her cauldron. "Uh, yeah. He wanted to read "Carrie" so loaned it to him. Why?"_

 _Lily rolled her eyes before throwing a quick glance to her potion, just to ensure it was progressing as it should. When she looked back to Elise, her face looked skeptical. "You really don't find it at all odd that Sirius Black is reading recreationally? Muggle horror novels at that?"_

" _He knows I'm still mad about the rain cloud incident. He's just trying to get on my good side, Lily." Elise said dismissively. She knew what her fiery redheaded friend was attempting to get at and Elise was refusing to take the bait. She decided weeks ago that despite her attraction to the raven-haired mischief maker, she would not be a challenge to him to be conquered, that had to be manipulated and coerced. She would have consented under her own free will, but not his way. Not through tricks._

 _Lily shook her head and silently cursed as the motion sent a light breeze over her cauldron. She fretted over her brew for a few moments before she seemed to get it back under control. She sighed clear of her potion and set her wand down on the lab table with a soft clatter._

" _I know that you said you're over playing with him, that his attempt to bully you into a date hurt you but-"_

 _Elise held up a hand and interrupted, "But I'm seeing Ian. Maybe Black_ is _trying to get back in my particularly good graces again." She picked up her own wand from the desk to rhythmically begin to wave it over her cauldron. "But it won't work. We are discussing a book that we've both enjoyed. I do that with lots of my friends. Is that so odd?"_

 _Lily shook her head and picked up her wand to begin the same step Elise was working on before muttering, "It may not be odd for you but it certainly is for him."_

Elise continued to watch him as Sirius turned a page, shifting his hand to hold his chin with his elbow propped up on the table beside his plate. His brows were knit as his shaggy black mane enclosed his face like a curtain but he appeared to be concentrating hard. Remus was attempting to talk to him now and he appeared not to hear. Remus repeated himself again and Sirius still didn't turn to his friend. Finally, Remus waved a hand in front of his face.

"Elise?" A familiar voice drifted into Elise's own attentions. She turned her head toward her Ravenclaw companion.

"Er, yes?" She said to Cynthia, slightly confused.

Cynthia looked slightly annoyed as she shifted a bit of parchment her way. "I was asking you if you knew this rune…"

* * *

Sirius had been reading this blasted week for a good couple of weeks now. He hardly got more than ten or twenty pages done at a time before his attention had been called elsewhere but he was trying. If he was being honest the beginning hadn't really appealed to him at all and he was having a hard time understanding why the clever, blonde witch across the hall from him was interested in reading a book about some awkward muggle girl who's getting the mickey taken out of her by some other, clearly awful other muggle girls.

But that was before "the Prom".

He began this particularly nail biting section of the book right before dinner and even though he had had to punch Prongs hard on the arm to get the git to leave him alone about it, he had taken the book down to dinner. It didn't help that it was Halloween, which was lending a rather eerie air to the situation unfolding before him between the pages of this odd novel. His eyes were glued to the page as he read and he was starting to understand why Elise had been sitting as anxiously as she had when he had gone to find her.

"Padfoot." Merely a whisper, he brushed it away.

"Padfoot, mate." Sirius deliberately ignored him this time. He was almost done with the page when a hand broke his concentration as it wiggled between him and the book in his hands.

"What?" He whipped his head up, almost surprised at the confused faces surrounding him.

"Padfoot, what the hell are you doing?" Remus asked, looking slightly concerned.

"Isn't it obvious?" Sirius responded in a forced tone of incredulity before he turned his head back down toward the pages before him.

"Sirius, we're trying to make plans for tonight. Do you have any input.?" Remus asked annoyed as James snickered.

Sirius just waved his hand at him. "Just give me a minute. I'm nearly finished."

He knew that Remus didn't think his _reading_ was for any noble reason and he suspected that that annoyed Remus even more, that he was reading for evil instead of good. A few nights before he and the other Marauders had brought it up, in between James prattling on about his strides forward with Lily, that is.

" _Padfoot, what do you think you're doing with that book?" Remus had asked him, giving him a hard look._

 _Sirius had looked up then, noting his page number before putting the book down on his nightstand. "I am reading it, Moony. I'm surprised you have to ask, I was rather under the impression that was what_ you _did with them." He responded cheekily, as he stretched._

 _Remus shook his head before sending a look at James who merely shrugged._

" _Moony, you're barking up the wrong tree." James said, holding his hands up in surrender. "Just because we are trying to execute a little differently doesn't mean we aren't both after the same objective." James threw a wink at Sirius then who grinned broadly at his best mate. "You've got my full support. You go get her, Pads."_

 _Sirius grinned wider still as he looked back at a tomato faced Remus Lupin. The young werewolf opened his mouth to speak before closing his mouth. He stood up and ran a hand over his hair as he looked between James and then Sirius. "You're my mate and you know I love you but I don't like what you're doing with Elise."_

" _And what is that?" Sirius asked quietly._

 _Remus licked his lips anxiously, taking a step toward his friend. "You're trying to make her think that…" He cast his eyes down on the floor as he stopped. "Why did you try and make her go to Hogsmeade the way you did?" He asked instead, bringing his eyes back up to meet Sirius's._

 _Sirius's mouth dropped open, his jaw going slack as he looked at his scarred friend curiously. "I wanted to get her back for that potion from the first week back." He said._

 _Remus shook his head. "No, why did you try and force her to go with you? Why were you trying to make her agree to get you to make the cloud go away?" He asked, dropping himself onto the end of Sirius's bed. "Why didn't you just ask her? Like a normal bloody person?"_

 _The room had gone quiet and Sirius could feel the tension building. He swallowed, if he couldn't say it to her he might as well say it to his mates._

" _I wasn't thinking about it that way." He said finally. "I wanted to embarrass her the way she embarrassed me and I wanted to ask her to Hogsmeade. It seemed like an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, as it were. I wasn't trying to make her feel forced."_

 _Remus said nothing and didn't look at him. Sirius rubbed his face with his hand._

 _Had he messed up colossally?_

 _Sirius knew Remus was friends, real friends, with Elise, was he going to be upset with him?_

" _She would have gone with you if you had just asked like a human being, you know." Remus said finally, standing from the bed and walking back to his own chair._

 _Sirius nodded. Of course._

 _Elise Simon wasn't a girl to be won by tricks._

" _Simon isn't the kind of bird to be won over by stunts, mate." James said, almost as if he had read Sirius's thoughts. "Trust me. I'm trying to win over one of her best mates."_

 _Peter groaned loudly. "Not this again!" He cried and threw himself back onto his pillow, making his bed creak in protest._

 _The rest of the Marauders laughed but Remus caught Sirius's eye and Sirius knew in that look that Remus had talked to Elise about him and it had not been favorably._

" _She isn't to be won, Padfoot. She isn't to be another conquest." He said before turning to his desk and homework while James began retelling Lily's reaction to a joke he had told at breakfast that day._

 _Again._

* * *

Ian was sitting uneasily at the Slytherin table, picking apart a cauldron cake on his plate without looking. He could hear his friends chattering beside him, laughing but he only had eyes and attention for Elise Simon.

For the moment she was talking innocently with her own House mates and Ian relaxed. Enjoying the way that her hair framed her face, how delicately she spoke with her hands. He wasn't sure why he hadn't asked her to go out with him before now. She really was special. He wished he could have enjoyed that book she had offered him and that he had realized he'd made a mistake by refusing it. She was trying to share something with him and he overlooked it.

But Sirius bloody Black had not.

And that was what annoyed Ian. Elise and her friends were clearly talking about him and his friends as they whispered between each other, glancing over in their direction. Ian stiffened. Sirius Black was over there clearly reading that book now and Ian's jaw clenched tightly.

He wasn't sure what Black was playing at. Was he trying to win her back over?

 _Probably._

Maybe he was just being friendly?

Ian doubted it. _There had to be some motive._

He thought back to his conversation with Black on the subject.

" _I'm better suited for her than you, Pinprick." Black had insisted._

 _To which Ian replied, "Why do you think that? Because you're a brave and noble Gryffindor? Because you need a new partner in crime to get into mischief with since you lost Potty? You only want to use her. At least I want her for more than pranks and frivolity. Surely you want better for her than that. Just let her go."_

Ian shook his head. The Gryffindick was still going to try and get back with her. Ian watched as Elise watched Black and his eyes narrowed as he realized Black was reading in the Great Hall for Elise's benefit, to prove he wasn't what she thought he was.

But it was a trick. All just a trick.

Of course, Ian didn't need the display before him now to figure that much out. Elise had been discussing happily, too happily for Ian's taste, her calm and analytic conversations regarding the book a few times now. He thought back to their most recent conversation on the topic.

" _Can you actually believe that we agreed on something?" Elise had said in disbelief._

 _She had been discussing some character that they had both thought was awful or… something. Ian hadn't been entirely sure._

" _I'm sorry I didn't read it, Elise." Ian said suddenly, looking down at her beside him as they walked._

 _She returned his gaze, a small understanding smile gracing her lips. "We'll find another one for the two of us to share."_

 _Her mention of them as an 'us' immediately made Ian feel less threatened by Black's reading, as she no doubt had intended, but he still found himself feeling wary._

" _I would love that." He responded instead, brushing her hair behind her shoulder to see her face better. She leaned into his touch, her eyes closed a moment._

 _Ian sighed. "I'm sure you already are aware of this but I think you should be careful with Black."_

 _Elise's eyes snapped open and fixed him with a look that he had come to understand wasn't meant to be as intimidating as it was, merely perceptive._

" _I know." She said, her voice soft as she watched him. "I know what he's doing."_

 _Despite his best efforts his eyebrow rose in question and Elise laughed lightly, turning her head against his hand to kiss his palm and look back at him. "I do know what's he's playing at. He won't fool me, Ian. Don't worry so much." She had reached up then to gently rub at the lines that had formed between his eyebrows, allowing her hand to trail down his cheek as she gazed at him._

" _Very well." Ian had said, swallowing hard, distracted by the soft pads of her fingers dancing across his skin. He knew it was intentional on her part._

Everything _she did was intentional._

* * *

Dorcas glanced up a moment from her pie and immediately regretted it. As Lily giggled and smiled at James, Dorcas immediately found herself losing all interest in her food. She looked down to her lap, muttering about they should just get married and get a room already. She shook her head and looked up, catching Kimberly's eyes across the hall. Dorcas gave a wave and a tight smile.

Kimberly clearly chuckled. She glanced from the offending couple and then back to Dorcas, giving another laugh.

Dorcas frowned, pursing her lips. She shook her head and rolled her eyes.

Kimberly held up a finger then and dove down underneath her table. When she reappeared she had parchment, quill, and ink in hand. She began writing furiously before folding it neatly into a small paper plane and sending it in Dorcas's direction.

 _Sorry about the lovebirds. Think you can manage to hold your supper down?_

Dorcas grinned before nudging Remus, requesting quill and ink. He glanced at the note between her fingers and smiled before handing over the requested items.

 _Barely. After all this time complaining about him, it's amazing that a few nice words, an answer in class, and the occasional considerate deed has her doting all over him._ She wrote back quickly, sending it back with her wand.

Kim opened it and nodded, she glanced back between James and Lily and laughed before scrawling a response.

 _Absolutely disgusting. I wish they'd get a room already. Are we all ready for tonight?_

She chuckled to herself responding quickly.

 _That's what I said! Of course we are. Lily and Elise took care of it all earlier this week. We're all going to meet on the staircase at 10:30._

* * *

 _ **What are the those Hogwarts prefects doing out of bed on Halloween night?**_

 _ **Why are the Marauders making plans?**_

 _ **Will all mayhem break loose!?**_

 _ **Probably.**_

 _ **To be continued...**_


End file.
